Neighbors
by mmgage
Summary: House returns to his old apartment and meets a new neighbor who may help him on his road to recovery. This story begins shortly after "Ignorance is Bliss" and ignores "Wilson" entirely.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is my first House fan-fiction. I like to think I've gotten the characters down. I hope you'll enjoy, and let me know!**

House moved back into his apartment on a Friday evening. It had been a long, frustrating day, a fitting culmination to a long and frustrating week. It had started Monday evening, when House's car had stalled out on the drive home. He'd managed to coast his car to the curb but when he reached for his cell phone to call Wilson for help, he couldn't find it. He'd gotten out of the car and gone into the only open business along the street, which happened to be a seedy-looking bar. The bar tender let him use the phone. Wilson sounded irritated and House knew he could hear the sounds from the bar.

When Wilson reached the bar, he found House sitting on a stool, an empty glass in front of him. House quickly handed the bar-tender some cash and followed a fuming Wilson out the door.

"You're drinking again?" Wilson demanded as soon as they were outside.

"No," House protested.

"House…"

"It was a ginger ale. I ordered it after they let me use the phone." Wilson rolled his eyes, clearly not believing House's explanation.

"Where's your backpack?" he demanded.

"In my car." House started toward his vehicle but Wilson stopped him.

"Give me your keys," Wilson snapped. "I'll get it." House handed over the keys and watched his friend stalk away. To his surprise, Wilson didn't simply retrieve the backpack but got into the car. A second later House heard the battered vehicle's engine roar to life. Wilson drove it up to where he was waiting. He put the car in park, leaving the engine running, and got out. "You'd better get going before it stalls out again." He stalked off to his own vehicle and House followed his advice, climbing back into his car and driving off toward Wilson's condo. The car didn't stall again and House breathed a sigh of relief when he found a parking place near the building's entrance.

House had been in the apartment for over ten minutes before Wilson arrived. The oncologist's shoes were soaked, as was the bottom two inches of his pant legs. He stalked into the apartment, shrugging out of his coat and flinging it across the couch. He strode into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. House stared after him for a moment, then picked up the coat and put it away. A few minutes later Wilson emerged, changed into his pajamas and slippers. He stalked past House without a word and went into the kitchen. House wasn't sure what to say to him. He could hear him banging things around in the kitchen. He went to the doorway and stood there for a moment as Wilson opened cabinet doors and then banged them shut without taking anything out.

"Bad day?" he asked. Wilson slammed another door shut and gripped the edge of the counter, his back to House. His knuckles were white.

"This…isn't working," he said after a long silence. "I can't…I won't watch you self-destruct, again."

"I'm not self-destructing," House said, trying to keep himself calm. He didn't want to get pulled into an argument with Wilson. The younger man turned around then, glaring at House.

"You called me to come get you from a bar, House," Wilson said, speaking slowly as though House was a naughty and not-very-intelligent child. "What am I supposed to think?"

"My car…"

"Right. Your car just happened to stall out there, in front of the one bar between this condo and the hospital."

"It was ginger-ale," House yelled before he could stop himself, his resolve to avoid an argument forgotten. "It was a god-damned glass of ginger ale. I guess I should've asked for a receipt, just so I could prove it to you!"

"Maybe you've got some more dog urine for me to run tests on," retorted Wilson.

"Hand me a cup; I'll save you the trouble of blocking up the toilet this time," snapped House. Wilson pushed away from the counter, striding toward House. For a moment House thought Wilson was going to hit him, but instead the younger man pushed past him. House turned to follow. Wilson strode into his bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. A few minutes later, House could hear him talking to someone and he realized that Wilson was telling Amber about the events of the evening.

Wilson talked to Amber late into the night. House spent the night on the couch. Wilson wasn't whispering this time and House could make out every word when he was in the shrine. It felt too intrusive to lay there, listening to his friend pour his heart out. It was also creepy, knowing that Wilson was talking to someone who wasn't there.

House had thought that things between him and Wilson would get better after the conference. He thought Wilson would understand that he did care, would realize that he could talk to House about his day rather than talking to his dead girlfriend. That, in turn, would allow House to talk to Wilson about something more important than "24" or "The L Word." But each night Wilson retreated to his bedroom, the whispering began, and House was left with his own thoughts. House wasn't sure what to do. His instincts were in favor of pushing Wilson on this, but he knew he didn't have good instincts when it came to relationships. He remembered too well Wilson accusing him of needing to push relationships to the breaking point.

In the morning, House got up early. He'd barely slept and his leg was throbbing. He wanted to soak in a warm bath but he knew that he'd be in Wilson's way. He took a quick shower, dressed, and made his way to the kitchen, intending to make breakfast as a peace offering. He found Wilson there ahead of him, starting a pot of coffee. He paused in the doorway, wondering what to say. Wilson spoke without turning around, startling him.

"This isn't working, House," he said quietly. "I… I can't do this. I want you to leave." House felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He wanted to argue with Wilson, to tell him he was wrong, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

"I'll be out by the end of the week," he said quietly. He limped away from the kitchen, getting his coat and back-pack from the closet, and left the apartment.

House had spent the rest of the week preparing to return to his apartment. He'd called the utilities to get the power and phone turned back on at his appointment. He'd arranged for a maid to clean up the place. He'd even called Nolan and explained what was going on. Nolan had told him that it was ok. Clearly Dr. Wilson had issues of his own to deal with, and this was an opportunity for House to make new connections. Nolan was concerned that since his return to the hospital, House had not connected with anyone; he had gone back to the (screwed up) relationships he'd had with the people there. He gave him an assignment to make an effort to meet someone new.

That Friday was also the day House's luck ran out. He'd been avoiding Cuddy fairly successfully since their return but that Friday he wasn't able to evade her. He had just reached his office and shrugged out of his coat when she came in.

"I need you in the clinic this morning," she said, skipping any greetings. House hung up his coat, working to keep his face free of emotion. Every time he saw Cuddy he remembered that awful breakfast with Lucas. It took him a moment to get his face under control but he still didn't meet her eyes when he turned.

"Ok," he said. He started for the door.

"Ok," she repeated. He wasn't sure if it was agreement or a question. He decided to ignore it and made his way out of the office and down the hall toward the elevator. He could feel the eyes of his team following him. He was surprised and relieved when Cuddy didn't join him in the elevator. He wondered if she'd gone to talk to Wilson about him.

By noon House was tired and hurting. He'd seen dozens of people, most of them parents convinced that their children's sniffles were swine flu. His leg was aching and the sarcasm had ceased to be entertaining after the third semi-hysterical mother. He'd stopped arguing with them and just ordered the tests.

He finished with his current patient (a college student who'd contracted an STD – seriously, had none of these kids ever heard of condoms?) and limped out to the nurses' station. Nurse Brenda looked up at him and he dropped the chart into the tray.

"I'm going to lunch," he told her, hobbling away before she could respond. Instead of heading to the cafeteria, however, he got into the elevator and went up to his office. He wanted to stretch out in his chair and rest his leg for an hour. He'd just dropped into the chair and was picking up his leg to put it up on the footstool when Foreman came into the conference room. House saw the blue file folders and sighed. He levered himself up out of the chair and limped into the conference room.

"Got a case," Foreman said, flipping a file folder toward him. House reached to make the catch but the folder slipped from his hands and fell to the floor. House sighed, stepped over the folder, and dropped into the hard chair at the end of the table. He reached out to snatch the file folder from Thirteen's hands. She rolled her eyes at him before getting up and retrieving the folder from the floor. House could feel the metal edge of the chair biting into the back of his legs, adding to his discomfort. Foreman started to review the patient's symptoms. House interrupted him, ordering Taub to list the symptoms up on the white board. Taub arched a brow, but didn't say a word as he picked up the marker and started the list. House had been different since Cameron left and neither Taub nor Thirteen were sure how to take him. At times he was the same old House, sarcastic and rude. Other times he just seemed… weary. Today he was weary.

House had hoped that the case would provide him a distraction, but within two hours he had it figured out. He sent the team off to start treatment and returned to his office. He had just settled into his chair and put his leg up onto the footstool when Cuddy stalked in.

"Lunch time is over, House," she said. "You should've been back to the clinic an hour ago."

"I have a case," House said.

"Had a case," retorted Cuddy. "Your team is starting treatment now."

"Right." House got out of the chair and started out of his office. Cuddy frowned after him. She'd hardly seen him since their return from the conference. When she did see him, he never met her eyes. He didn't argue with her, leer at her, or make obnoxious comments about her wardrobe. Cuddy wasn't sure what to make of it. It was certainly making work less stressful for her, but at the same time there were moments when she missed their sparring.

By the time the clinic closed at 6pm, House's leg was screaming in pain. He limped from the elevator to his office. The lights were all off but someone had left the coffee pot on. House could smell the burnt beverage in his office and he limped through the dark office to turn it off. He sighed in disgust, imagining the burnt sludge on the bottom of the pot. This wouldn't have happened, he thought, if Cameron was here. He felt a fresh surge of irritation at the thought of her. What had she been thinking? Moving away from PPTH wasn't going to turn back time. Dibala would still be dead, and Chase would still be guilty. A change in venue wasn't going to change anything else. Cameron wasn't stupid; she should have realized that.

Down in the dark parking lot, the battered old car started reluctantly. House hadn't driven it much after he got the bike; he knew he needed to get it to a shop. He missed the feeling of freedom that riding the bike gave him but the wreck in Middletown had finished it off. He'd intended to replace it but then Kutner had died, the hallucinations had started, and he'd wound up in Mayfield.

The car stalled once as House was leaving the hospital parking lot. He got it started again and drove slowly toward his apartment. It was a Friday night and someone on the block was having a party. There was nowhere for House to park and he wound up going around the corner and parking there. He got out of the car, gathered up his duffel bag of clothing and his back-pack and started the painful walk back toward 221 Baker Street. He had just rounded the corner when he heard the woman yell.

"Maggie!" The voice was frantic, the sort of tone that panicked mothers got when they couldn't find one of their children. House paused, looking for the toddler who was causing the commotion. He wasn't fond of children but he wasn't going to stand by and let one run out into the busy street. He didn't see a child, however, but a small dog, running headlong down the sidewalk straight toward him. A leash trailed behind the dog. House dropped his bag to the ground, wondering how he could block the dog's escape. To his surprise and relief, the dog came to a stop, jumping on his good leg. Now that it was up close and relatively still, House could see that it was a red miniature dachshund. He looked down into the dog's face and couldn't stop his lips from twitching into a smile. The dog looked back at him, eyes wide and trusting and tail wagging.

"Maggie, you idiot," panted the woman and House looked up as she reached him, catching a glimpse of her before she bent down to scoop up her dog. The woman had dark brown hair, pulled into a braid down her back. Her eyes were brown and her skin, beneath the flush that running had caused, was fair. When she stood back up, dog in her arms, he could see that she was young, perhaps in her mid-twenties. The dog looked over at him, her tail still wagging, and House reached out tentatively to rub behind her ears. "Thank you so much," the young woman said, sounding slightly breathless. "She just got away from me. I have no idea where she thought she was going." The last sentence was delivered as much to the dog as to House, in an exasperated yet affectionate tone.

"Glad she's ok," House said gruffly, moving to collect his duffel bag.

"Well, uh, thanks again," the young woman said, moving aside so House could pass. He nodded, feeling embarrassed, and continued on his way to his apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I forgot to put the disclaimer here last time... don't sue! I do not own anything related to House. I do own the dog. :)**

The apartment smelled of stale air and too many cleaning supplies. House started sneezing almost as soon as he got inside. He took his bag to his bedroom, dropping it onto the bed and moved to open the window a crack. It was cold outside but he needed to let some fresh air into the apartment. He put away his clothing and pulled the bedding off of his bed; it hadn't been changed since before he left for Mayfield. He had just finished stripping the mattress when he heard a knock at his door. He made his way there quickly, half hoping it would be Wilson coming to check on him. The oncologist had barely said three words to him since he'd asked him to move out.

House was surprised to find the young woman from the sidewalk standing there.

"Oh, it's you," she said when she saw him, clearly just as surprised. "I didn't know you lived here."

"I'm moving back in," House said, and then wondered why he told her that. It was none of her business.

"Well, this was in my mail-box and I just wanted to give it to you." She handed House an envelope addressed to him. "I live across the hall, in apartment A. I'm Sarah Kelly." She held out her hand. House took it after a second's pause, mindful of Nolan's instructions to meet someone new. Her handshake was firm, warm and dry.

"Greg House," he said, and mentally kicked himself. She knew his name; it was on the envelope she was delivering. "Your dog cooperated for the return trip?"

"Yes," laughed Sarah. "She runs all the way when we go _to_ the park. I think she's convinced that other dogs will suck up all the good smells before she gets there." House nodded, unsure how to respond. He wasn't good at small talk.

"Well, thank you for the mail," he said after an awkward pause.

"Thank you for the save," she replied. "Have a good night." She smiled at him one more time before turning to go back across the hall to her apartment. House watched her open the door. She turned on the threshold and glanced back, her eyes widening when she saw that he was watching her. He felt his face flush and swiftly closed his door, returning to the bedroom.

"Hey, Brat," Sarah said, stepping over the baby-gate that she used to keep Maggie from reaching the front door. "Guess who our neighbor across the hall is? That's right – it's the nice man who kept you from getting run over tonight. He's moving back in. I still can't believe you did that. Where on earth did you think you were going?" Sarah continued to chatter to her dog as she gathered up her laundry. "Well, I'm off to the basement to start some laundry – just another exciting Friday night. You think I should order a pizza for dinner?" Sarah crammed as much laundry as she could into her basket and stepped carefully back over the gate. The little dog watched her every move. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Sarah stepped out of her apartment, balancing the basket on one hip while she locked the door behind her before making her way to the basement stairs. The elevator was, once again, out of order. Sarah couldn't remember a time in the three months she'd lived in the building when it had been working.

The laundry room was empty, as Sarah had expected. Most people in the building didn't choose to spend their Friday evenings doing laundry. She loaded two machines, started them up and returned to her apartment to order the pizza. There should be just enough time for the delivery to arrive before she'd have to go down and move her things to the dryer.

When House went to get clean sheets for his bed, he discovered that he had none. His other set of bedding was still wadded up in a pile on the floor of his closet. House sighed and gathered up both sets. It seemed he'd be spending his first night home down in the laundry room. He crammed his sheets and the rest of the laundry he found on the closet floor into a bag and went out into the hallway. The elevator was out of order and House sighed. He'd have to restart his running battle with the landlord about keeping it properly maintained. He made sure the laundry bag wasn't going to fall off his shoulder, hooked his cane over his left arm, and gripped the banister tightly with his right hand as he made the climb down to the basement. Two of the four machines were in use and House wondered who else was doing laundry on a Friday night. He loaded his bedding into one machine and some other clothing into the fourth. Then he realized that he'd left his detergent upstairs in his apartment. Growling in frustration at his own forgetfulness and the broken elevator, House trekked back upstairs to retrieve the detergent and then went back down the stairs to the laundry room. By the time he'd finished putting the soap in and starting up the machines, his leg was trembling. He planned to go back upstairs and stretch out on his couch while the washers ran. He hoped that would make his leg feel better. He had nearly reached the laundry room door when it swung open and he jumped back to avoid being hit. His thigh cramped up at that point and he staggered on his good leg to lean against the back of a dryer, dropping his cane and gasping at the pain.

"Did I get you?" asked a concerned voice and House looked up to see the woman with the dog.

"You missed," he hissed, rubbing desperately at the leg. The woman looked at him for a second, then moved across the room, returning with a folding chair which she set up.

"Here, sit down," she said, reaching out to help him. He shied away from her, managing to drop into the chair on his own. He moved his other hand down to join in the efforts at cramp-relief.

"Thanks," he managed.

"No problem." The young woman stepped over to the two washing machines, which had just finished and started to shift the wet clothing into dryers. "I was a swimmer when I was a kid. Sometimes in practice we would get these cramps in our feet, from pointing our toes. My father told me once that if I pinched my upper lip it would make the cramp go away."

"Really."

"Yeah," she said, ignoring the sneering in his tone. "I was never sure if it worked because there really was a nerve there or if it was just that feeling ridiculous about sitting on the side of the pool pinching my lip distracted me." She laughed lightly and looked back over at House.

"I'll keep it in mind," he said. She started toward the door and then stopped, looking back at him.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" House was prepared to snap at her to leave him alone but he remembered that Nolan wanted him to try to connect with someone new. She was new, she was pretty, and he appreciated the way she'd handled this incident so far. She hadn't made a fuss.

"It's better," he said. "I'm going to go back upstairs."

"Ok. I'll walk up with you." She picked up his cane from the floor and held it out to him. He took it from her and got carefully to his feet. The leg was still shaky but he thought it would hold. When they reached the staircase, House again hooked his cane over his left arm and reached out to grip the banister with his right hand.

"You'd better go up first," he said. "Don't want to knock you down if I fall."

"I'll walk beside you," she said calmly. They made their way up the stairs, fortunately not meeting anyone else since together they blocked the narrow stairway. They reached the center of the hallway between their two apartments and House found himself wondering what to say to her. Thank yous didn't come easily for him.

"See you later," he said, and started toward his door.

"Sure," she replied easily, moving to her own door. As she opened it a pounding piano riff came pouring out, joined by horns a second later. House paused, intrigued. The music reminded him of songs from the 1940s yet it wasn't quite the same. She sensed his hesitation and looked back at him.

"What is that?" he asked, unable to resist.

"It's a group called Big Bad Voodoo Daddy," she said. "You want to come in for a minute?" House hesitated for a second, but the music was pulling at him. He wanted to hear more.

"Ok," he said, and limped toward her.

Inside the apartment, Sarah waited for her neighbor to get inside and close the door. Once he had she moved aside the baby gate and Maggie charged toward them, her tail wagging as she barked in joy. She saw the man hesitate and hastened to reassure him.

"She's just excited to have company. If you sit down, you'll wind up with her in your lap." He nodded, moving slowly into the apartment. She saw his blue eyes sweep his surroundings, taking in the whole room, and followed his gaze wondering what he thought. She was fond of her living room. She'd painted the walls in eggshell, and the floor was natural oak. Her sofa and chairs were off-white, but she'd added color with bright throw pillows. There were bookcases along the wall that adjoined the exterior hall, save for a gap in the middle where her tv and stereo were. She had a writing desk over by the windows where her computer sat. Maggie hadn't dug out all of her toys from the toy box under an end table so the room was fairly tidy.

After his survey was complete, her neighbor made his way carefully toward her sofa, the dog following behind him, tail still wagging. Sure enough, as soon as he settled onto the couch, Maggie leapt up beside him and put her front feet onto his good leg. He rubbed her ears hesitantly and her tail wagged even faster while her tongue stretched out toward his face. A smile flickered across his face for a moment and Sarah felt herself smile too. The music changed, and she dropped onto the sofa arm to watch him. He still had the small smile on his face, and the fingers on his right hand moved. It took her a moment to recognize the movement; it was as if he had a keyboard there. He relaxed further into the sofa, absorbed in the music. His grin broadened as the singer started. "I don't wanna fight Jack, but you ain't never right, You know you wrong," went the refrain. When the song ended, the man looked back up at her, his smile fading.

"Do you always invite strangers in to your apartment?" he asked. "I could be an axe murderer or something."

"So could I," replied Sarah with a shrug.

"You figure since your dog likes me I must be ok." Sarah threw her head back and laughed.

"Maggie likes _everyone_." She slipped off the couch arm and started toward the kitchen. "Have you had dinner yet? I've got a pizza in the oven." She heard him get up from the couch as she stepped into the kitchen and then the thump of his cane as he followed her. He stopped in the doorway as she pulled the pizza box out of the oven.

"Meat lovers?" he asked hopefully.

"Supreme, plus black olives." She set the box on the table and moved to a cabinet to get plates before moving to the refrigerator "What do you want to drink? I have Coke, lemonade, water…"

"I'll have a Coke," he said. She pulled out two cans and carried them to the table. He joined her there. They sat down, opening their drinks and reaching for slices of pizza. Sarah glanced at the clock, noting that his laundry would be ready to go into the dyers in another twenty minutes. She wondered if she should offer to go down and move it for him. Would he find that insulting? How much help was too much? He was obviously prickly about the leg, and about accepting help, yet here he was eating her pizza.

They ate in silence. Sarah was surprised when she realized that she didn't feel awkward. It was refreshing, not having to make small talk. When the pizza was gone, she shoved her plate away, feeling no rush to clean up. Her guest shifted in his chair and she sensed that the silence was about to end.

"I should move my laundry," he said, but he didn't move from the chair.

"Ok." Again Sarah wondered if she should offer to help.

"I… thanks for the pizza, and the music."

"Sure," she said, then took a breath and plunged on. "Look, I don't want to be insulting or offend you or anything but if you're going back down those stairs I think I'd better go with you."

"I'm fine," he protested, bristling.

"I don't want to find you lying down there when I go to get my own laundry." She tried to make it sound like a joke, but she really wasn't kidding. She'd seen how hard it was for him to stand earlier and she could see him taking a tumble down the staircase. He opened his mouth and she fully expected him to protest again. After a second he closed it and she could see him swallow.

"Fine," he said after another moment. He stood up slowly and she followed suit. He glanced at the pizza box and plates.

"I'll get these later," she said.

"Mm." He led the way out of the kitchen and back toward the apartment door. Maggie was lying on the couch and she lifted her head, her tail starting to wag as she saw him.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Sarah told her dog. "Let me get the gate up before you open the door, ok?" Her guest waited while she set up the gate and then he opened the apartment door. She followed him out, locking it behind her, and they made their way toward the stairs. Once more she made her way down the staircase at his side.

He stopped just inside the laundry room door, his hand dropping to his thigh. She looked at him for a second, then moved over to the washing machines and started moving his laundry into dryers. He hobbled to the folding chair, still sitting where she'd put it and dropped into it. She glanced over at him as she transferred an armload of laundry. He was staring down at the floor and she felt a pang. Was she doing the wrong thing here, helping him? She didn't want to make him feel bad but she really had worried about him going down the stairs alone. She moved the last of the laundry over and started the dryers, feeing in quarters from her pockets without thinking. She looked at her own machines and saw there was another half-hour to go on her loads.

"All set," she said, but he didn't move. She stepped around the dryers to stand in front of him, leaning against the back of a machine and waiting. He seemed to be thinking hard.

"What do I owe you?" he asked, and she was confused. "For the machines. And my share of the pizza."

"Oh. One dollar for the dryers. Don't worry about the pizza." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, rummaging inside it before holding out a twenty-dollar bill. She shook her head at him. "Seriously, you don't need to worry about the pizza. I ordered it for myself."

"You can give me change back," he replied and for a second she thought he was angry. "My friends …. People who know me would tell you to let me pay you back. It's not an offer I make often." He looked up at her, not quite managing to hide a grimace. Was it his leg bothering him, or was there something else bothering him? What was the story behind his mid-sentence change from "friends" to "people who know me?" There were so many pitfalls to avoid here and Sarah wasn't sure that she was mentally agile enough to avoid them all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: The usual disclaimers apply. Many thanks for the kind reviews! I hope you continue to enjoy.**

When they got upstairs again, House wasn't sure what to do. His laundry would be dry in another hour and he'd have to go back down for it. He didn't want to admit it but he wasn't looking forward to negotiating the steep and narrow staircase two more times.

He realized he'd stopped walking and that his neighbor was a few steps ahead of him. She turned to look back at him.

"Coming in for your change?" she asked.

"Ok," House said, moving forward again. Once more she waited until he'd closed the door before taking down the gate that kept the dog away from the door. The dog wagged her tail joyfully, clearly pleased that he had returned. House couldn't help but smile. He looked up to find his neighbor watching him, looking amused. He could feel himself start to flush. He was getting sappy over a dog. She handed him some bills and he stuffed them into his pocket without looking at them.

"PhD or MD?" she asked, confusing him. "Your mail was addressed to Dr. Gregory House."

"MD," he said, moving over to sit on her sofa again. "I work at Princeton Plainsboro." Once more the little dog climbed up beside him and he started petting her automatically.

"I work in the history department's office at the university." It seemed to be his turn to talk but he didn't know what to say next. The music was still playing, the singer asking "How big can you get?"

"Is this the same band?" he asked. He knew that it was, at least, the same singer that he'd heard before. Music seemed like a safe conversation choice.

"Yeah. This is from an album they did in tribute to Cab Callaway." She dropped onto opposite end of the couch. "They were pretty popular in the 90s. Everybody was learning to swing dance for a while."

"You learned?"

"Never got past the rock step," she said, laughing. "I am not the most coordinated person. My parents put me into swim lessons figuring I wouldn't hurt myself in the pool." The song changed and this one House did recognize. It was "Minnie the Moocher." The dog jumped down from the couch, running over to the end table near his hostess. She returned a second later, dragging what looked like a pelt. She put it down by his feet and looked up him, tail wagging. After a second she barked.

"What is that?" he asked, gesturing toward the pelt-like object.

"It was a stuffed animal – a rabbit I think. She's gutted it but she still likes to chase the pelt. She wants you to throw it." The woman got up from the couch and moved to retrieve the rabbit-pelt, throwing it down the hall. The dog was off like a shot, racing after it. She came running back, raising her head up high so that she wouldn't trip over the toy. House felt himself start to smile again. The next song started, mostly piano joined by the singer.

For the next half-hour, his neighbor played with her dog, throwing the pelt down the hall for her to retrieve, and House listened to the music. Some songs were more in the style of New Orleans jazz, while others were pure big band. He felt himself relaxing and was surprised when his hostess got to her feet.

"My laundry's done," she said. He shifted, preparing to get up and she put out a hand. "You don't have to leave. I'll be right back." She didn't wait for a response, moving to the door, stepping over the gate, and heading out. He watched her go and wondered what he should do. He was tempted to just go back to his own apartment. She surely had better things to do than entertain him this evening.

His musings were interrupted by a loud bark and he looked down to see that the dog had brought a toy to him to throw. Instead of the rabbit-pelt, it was a half-stuffed blue dog. She looked up at him, tail wagging and he swore she was smiling. He reached for the toy to throw it, but she picked it up, jerking it away from him.

"I'm not playing tug-of-war," he told her. "If you want me to throw it, put it down." To his surprise, she did. Of course, it was now out of his reach. She barked again, tail still wagging. House looked at the toy and had an idea. He grabbed his cane, reaching out to hook the toy with it and scooped it up. The dog barked again and he threw the toy down the hall. She raced after it.

Sarah was half-way down the basement stairs when it hit her. She had a complete stranger sitting in her apartment, alone with her dog. What was she thinking? She didn't know this man, or anything more about him than his name and that he was (he said) a medical doctor. What if he really was an axe murderer? The image of her neighbor, trying to sneak up on someone with an axe in one hand and his cane in the other sprang into her mind and she laughed before she could stop herself.

"Ok, that was totally inappropriate," she said, shaking her head at herself. She went on down the stairs to the laundry room to get her things.

When she returned to her apartment, she laughed out loud at what she saw. Her neighbor was using his cane to hook a half-stuffed dog toy up from the floor before throwing it down the hallway for her dog to chase. He turned in surprise at her laugh and the toy fell to the floor. Maggie promptly started barking. Sarah stepped carefully over the baby-gate, depositing her laundry basket into a chair and scooping up the toy to throw it again.

"I wasn't sure you'd still be here," she said.

"I was just going," he said quickly, starting to get up. Maggie returned with the toy, dropping it by his feet and he hesitated.

"I'm not kicking you out. I just figured you had something better to do with your Friday night than entertain a dog."

"I'm doing laundry, just like you," he pointed out. "Seems neither of us have much of a social life." He sank back on the couch, using his cane to scoop up the toy as Maggie returned it and then throwing it back down the hall.

"You don't have to keep doing that. I can get her a treat to distract her," Sarah offered. He shrugged.

"I don't mind."

"I'm going down the hall. Try not to hit me with that thing." Sarah picked up her laundry basket and carried it down the hall to her bedroom, depositing it on her bed. When she returned to the living room the toy sailed past her. She went into the kitchen to clean up the pizza box and plates, returning to take a seat in the wing-back chair where her laundry basket had rested. It faced down the hall toward her bedroom, giving her a good position from which to throw the toy. Her dog kept returning to her neighbor however. He looked over at her and arched a brow.

"It's the new toy factor," Sarah told him. "I'm always around to be played with. You're not so she wants to play with you while she can."

"Sounds like a kid," he said, scooping up the toy again.

"She's my kid," Sarah said, watching as Maggie came running back up to the couch and her neighbor. The dog was breathing heavily now. "I think that's enough, Magpie. How about a rawhide?" Sarah got up and moved back to the kitchen to get the treat out of a cabinet. The dog's toenails clicked on the floor behind her.

The woman and dog returned to the living room, the dog carrying her rawhide. She made for the couch and the woman stepped in front of her.

"Let me get a blanket. I don't want to clean rawhide goo off of the couch, again." She retrieved a blanket from the box beneath the end table and spread it out on one end of the couch. The dog leaped up and lay down, rawhide propped between her two front feet, and started to chew. House watched for a moment before turning to look at his neighbor. She had settled back into the wing-back chair, one foot tapping lightly to the beat of the music. The songs had started to repeat; they were back to "How Big Can You Get" again.

"So, her name is Magpie?" he asked, trying to remember what she'd called the dog before. Magpie didn't sound right.

"Maggie Mae. Magpie is just a nickname. What about you? Do I call you Dr. House? Gregory?"

"Most people call me House," he said.

"Ok."

"Call me Greg," he said, surprising himself.

"Alright. Call me Sarah."

"I think my laundry should be done now," he said, getting up from the couch. The leg wasn't trembling any more but he still wasn't looking forward to a trip down the stairs. She stood too.

"I'll get it," she said, starting for the door. He felt a surge of annoyance.

"That's not necessary," he said, starting after her.

"I know," she said, moving aside the baby-gate so he could join her by the door. She put it back as soon as he was there. "I'll bring it up, but you're on your own folding it." They stepped out into the hallway and she locked the door behind them. House wanted to protest again but she was moving toward the stairs and he knew he couldn't keep up with her. He watched her disappear through doorway to the staircase. House stayed where we was, thinking.

He'd felt like the evening had been going pretty well up until now. He'd managed some small talk and she hadn't seemed troubled by his silences. He'd enjoyed listening to the music and had even found playing with the dog amusing. He didn't like it that she'd insisted on going and getting his laundry, though he admitted to himself that it was partly because he was afraid she was right to worry. The leg was feeling better now that he'd spent some time off of his feet, but it wouldn't take much to have it trembling again. The hours in the clinic, the walk from his car, and his previous trips up and down the stairs all added up. He needed to take some ibuprofen and get off of his feet. He yawned and glanced at his watch, surprised to see that it was just after 10pm. He was normally a night owl but suddenly he wished that his overly-helpful neighbor would hurry. He wanted to collapse in his bed and go to sleep without images of Amber staring down at him.

As if in response to his wish, Sarah emerged from the stairway, carrying his laundry bag.

"Here you go," she said, holding out the bag as she reached him. He took it from her, shrugging the strap over his shoulder.

"Good night," he said, turning to go back to his apartment.

"Good night," she said.

Greg went into his own apartment and Sarah stared after him. Had she just ruined everything? She'd been having a pleasant evening and she thought he had too. It had taken him time to relax but he'd liked the music. She was sure of that. He'd seemed to enjoy playing with Maggie too. Small talk clearly wasn't his forte but that hadn't bothered her. She was around too many people who enjoyed the sound of their own voices at work. Everything had been ok until she'd insisted on going and getting his laundry for him. She'd seen that he was prickly about the leg. Sometimes her own stupidity amazed her. With a sigh of frustration she went back to her own apartment.

Maggie was waiting by the gate but as soon as Sarah stepped over she raced back to her rawhide.

"I'm not going to take it from you, Silly," Sarah chided, walking over to the sofa and dropping down beside her dog. "Well, Magpie, I'm afraid I screwed that up. I don't think you'll see Greg again anytime soon." She leaned back, looking up at her ceiling. The dog moved closer to her, pressing up against her leg, and Sarah stroked her idly. "I am such an idiot."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I still own nothing House-related. **

House's apartment was chilly and it took him a minute to remember opening the window. He dropped the laundry bag onto his couch and hobbled into his bedroom to shut it. His bedroom was very cold and he could feel his leg drawing up. He made his way back out to the couch and rummaged in the laundry bag for his bedding, pulling out what he needed. He made the bed, collected pajamas and went into his bathroom to change.

Once he was under the covers and warming back up, he found himself thinking about his evening with Sarah. Had he ruined everything? She probably thought he was a jerk. Really, would it have been too much to tell her thanks when she'd brought him up his laundry? No, all he said was good night and then he'd left. Nolan had told him he needed to make new connections. An opportunity had landed in his lap and he'd managed to screw it up in typical House-fashion. He could almost see Wilson shaking his head at him, that I-am-disappointed-yet-unsurprised expression on his face.

"I am such an idiot," he muttered.

In spite of his early night, House didn't get up until almost 9:30 the next morning. His leg was aching more than usual and he lingered in a warm bath, hoping to soak away some of the soreness. He was feeling glum. Was there any way to fix things with his neighbor? Probably not, he concluded. Probably she was better off not getting to know him. He didn't exactly have a great track record with friends. He wasn't sure how he'd done it but somehow he'd finally managed to alienate even Wilson.

It was gray and nasty out. The precipitation was not enough to call drizzle, more like spit. House wouldn't have gone out at all except that there was no food in his apartment and he was hungry. He was able to park closer to the building when he returned from the store, which was a relief.

When he'd finished eating and putting away his purchases, he turned to the laundry bag on the couch. He carried the clean clothes back to his dresser. When he opened the top drawer he heard a suspicious rattle and he froze. He reached in hesitantly to shift the clothing, his heart racing. He scooted aside a stack of socks and a familiar orange bottle rolled forward, banging against the front of the drawer. He stared at it as sweat beaded out on his forehead.

House wasn't sure how long he stood there, staring at the bottle. Finally he reached a trembling hand toward it, picking it up cautiously as if it might burn him. The smooth plastic felt so natural in his hand. He knew how the rough edges of the lid would feel beneath his thumb as he popped the top off. He could almost feel the pills in his hand, taste the chalky residue they'd leave behind on his tongue.

With a strangled cry House dropped the bottle, hearing the pills inside it rattle as it hit the bottom of the drawer. He backed away and sank onto his bed, shaking and sweating. Jesus, he thought, did Wilson even try to find his stashes? It didn't seem possible that he could have missed this bottle. How many others were lurking in the apartment, waiting for him to stumble across them? For a few minutes House railed at his friend. How could he send me back here, knowing these pills were here? Does he want me to self-destruct? He's afraid I won't need him anymore if I get healthy so he sends me here to fall apart. It's all about his need to be needed. He's set me up – putting me in the Amber shrine, whispering to her, kicking me out of his apartment, the silent treatment – it's all about getting me to slip. Then he can swoop in and save poor pathetic House.

The last thought sent a spark of fury through him. He got to his feet, picked up the offensive bottle and carried it out to the living room. He put it on the table behind his couch and moved to the closet, finding more bottles in his shoes. He put them on the table and moved on to the kitchen. He'd hidden a bottle in a coffee mug, he recalled. The irony had amused him at the time; it was a mug he'd made during his pretend rehab stint a few years back.

House worked frantically, trying to remember each hiding place, retrieving more and more bottles and adding them to the collection on his table. When he'd finished there were twenty-five little orange bottles sitting on his table, and he'd also pulled out the "back-up" bourbon bottle from beneath the kitchen sink. He added it to the collection and stepped back.

As soon as he stopped moving, the full horror of his situation hit him afresh. What was he going to do now that he'd found these pills? He thought about flushing them down the toilet but couldn't see himself actually doing it.

There was a knock on his door and he rushed to it like a drowning man to a life preserver.

* * *

The gray skies that greeted Sarah when she'd opened her curtains that morning had seemed fitting for her mood. She was still annoyed at herself for scaring off her neighbor the night before. She'd seen that the leg was a sore spot with him, physically and mentally, yet she hadn't been able to stop herself. Now he thought she was a patronizing jerk.

She started a pot of chili on her stove, intending to let it cook all day, and spent the rest of her morning cleaning the apartment. By 1pm every surface in the kitchen and bathroom gleamed. The bookcases had been dusted, the bedroom carpet vacuumed, and her desk organized. Not even Maggie had escaped; she'd had her toenails trimmed and been bathed.

Sarah ate a sandwich, standing over her shining sink so that she wouldn't drop crumbs on her freshly-cleaned counters or floor, and then went out to her living room, dropping onto the couch. She was mustering up the nerve to go to the store, dreary weather or no. Maggie looked over at her for a second, before dropping her head back down and resuming her nap. Sarah was sorely tempted to join her but she made herself get up.

"I'm going to the store," she told the dog. "I'll be back in a little while." She gave Maggie a farewell pat and got her jacket from the closet. The dog didn't offer to move as Sarah put the baby gate in place and stepped out into the hallway. She stared over at her neighbor's door for a second, almost hoping it would open. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe she could find the right words to fix things.

No words came to mind and the door didn't open so Sarah moved on. She stopped at her mailbox and unlocked it. There was the usual assortment of bills and junk mail offers. She stopped cold at the fourth envelope. Once again the mailman had delivered something meant for her neighbor. She stared at the envelope, her heart racing. This was her opening, her chance to try to fix things. She stuffed the rest of her mail into her handbag and went back down the hall. Now she needed to figure out what to say.

Sarah stood outside the door to apartment B, hoping inspiration would strike. She felt more foolish by the second. What if he opened the door and found her standing there?

"Here goes nothing," she muttered, reaching out to knock.

* * *

House flung open the door, desperately hoping that Wilson would be on the other side. He'd even have welcomed Cuddy. She might despise him but she would at least haul away those pills. He didn't expect to find his neighbor standing there, an envelope in her hand. He stared stupidly at her.

"Uh, the mailman apparently can't tell the difference between A and B," she said, holding out the envelope. "I got your mail again." He continued to stare at her and she frowned. "Are you ok?"

"No," he said, reaching out to take the mail. His hand was shaking and he saw her note it. He took a half-step back, and she looked past him. He saw her eyes widen, heard her sharp intake of breath and knew she'd spotted the pill bottles. Her eyes came back to him, scanning him and looking for some clue as to what was wrong with him.

"I… I'm sorry," she said.

"I need some help," he said, looking away from her gaze. He couldn't believe he was saying this.

"What can I do?" She hadn't hesitated for even a second.

"Get rid of those," he said, gesturing toward the pill bottles. "Please." He looked up to find her staring at him, clearly puzzled. After a second she stepped past him and moved to the bottles. She looked at them for a second before dropping her purse onto the table and scooping them all up. She strode down the hall to his bathroom. He stayed by the door, hearing the sounds of pills plopping into water and then the toilet flushing. The sounds were repeated several times and still House didn't move.

Finally she came back to him and glanced over at the bourbon bottle.

"You want that gone too?" she asked and he nodded. She picked up the bottle and went into the kitchen. This time he followed, standing in the doorway as she poured the alcohol down his sink. She turned around when the bottle was empty and looked at him. "I'll get rid of the empties." She moved past him and he heard her go back into the bathroom. When he heard her shut the apartment door, he sagged against the kitchen door-frame.

* * *

Sarah's mind was racing. When she'd first seen the bottles she'd thought her neighbor was battling cancer or HIV. Why else would he have so many prescriptions? She'd been surprised when he'd asked her to get rid of them and shocked when she realized that they were all Vicodin. She'd added things up as she'd stood over the toilet, flushing away pills. He had twenty-five partially-filled bottles of Vicodin, all dated within the year but none from the past three months. To judge from last night, he still had pain issues. He'd told her he was moving back in. She concluded that a pain problem had led to a pill problem which had resulted in a stint in rehab.

When she'd returned to the living room, she'd found him still standing there, the apartment door open, literally giving her a way out. The bottle of alcohol had caught her eye and he'd nodded when she'd offered to dispose of it. Leaving the empty bottles around for him to see had seemed cruel so she'd taken them away.

When Sarah returned from the dumpster, she knocked on the door to the apartment before opening it. It took her a moment to spot her neighbor. He was still in the doorway to his kitchen, slumped back against the frame. He didn't react at all to her presence. She moved slowly toward him, afraid of startling him but unable to just walk away. He looked… defeated. He was staring off at nothing. His face was still but there was so much going on behind his eyes.

"Hey," she said quietly and he looked over at her, surprise flashing across his face before he shut down again. Clearly he hadn't expected her to come back. She leaned against the opposite side of the door-frame, waiting. She wasn't sure what to do now but leaving him alone didn't seem right.

Minutes passed and still he said nothing. He'd gone back to staring at a spot on the floor. Sarah didn't know what to say. Usually when in doubt she resorted to humor but the best crack she could come up with was something about his toilet feeling no pain. It sounded stupid and insensitive in her head and she knew it would be worse out loud. She wanted badly to see him stand up straight, to lose that bowed look. He shouldn't feel defeated, she thought. He should feel victorious. It had taken a lot of guts to get rid of those pills, not to mention asking for help.

She had to do something, to get him to move from that doorway and whatever unhappy thoughts were consuming him. He wasn't a big talker; maybe the best thing to do was offer him a distraction.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get out of here." He looked up at her. She pushed away from the door-frame and after a second he followed suit. She started back to the apartment door, collecting her purse along the way, and he followed. In the hallway she stopped long enough for him to lock up and then she moved to open her own apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: A mid-day update - won't happen often but the boss is away and I can't seem to concentrate on my job today! I still own nothing related to House, hence the day-job. Thanks for all the reviews - they're better than chocolate!  
**

House felt drained. It had taken everything he had in him to admit that he needed help, to ask her to dispose of the pills. He could hardly believe it when she'd done it. When she'd left to take away the empty bottles, he'd figured that was the last time he'd ever see her. He couldn't understand why she'd come back.

When she'd asked him to come with her, he'd followed her because he couldn't think of a reason not to. He was numb. What little of his brain was working was moving in slow motion. He'd locked his door on auto-pilot and followed her across the hall into her apartment.

The gate was up and he waited while she moved it aside. The dog was barking and wagging her tail in excitement. He looked at her, thinking that it was obvious what _she_ was thinking. Her new toy was back. He moved to the couch and she leapt up beside him, putting her front feet on his good leg. He rubbed behind her ears and she lay down beside him, pressing as much of her body as possible against his leg. He kept petting her, running his hand down her side.

"Do you like old movies?" He looked up at Sarah, surprised by the query. He'd been expecting a lot of questions but that was not one of them. Surely she wanted to know why he had so many pills and why he'd wanted her to get rid of them.

"That's really what you want to know?" he asked. She dropped onto the couch beside him, the dog between them.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious," she told him. "But I thought maybe you'd prefer a distraction."

"I'd thought my…friend had cleaned the place out after… after I left," he said.

"Do you want to call him, let him know you're here?" she asked. He shook his head.

"He knows." Her eyes widened a bit at that revelation. He wondered how much she'd figured out.

"Ok," she said. Her expression was neutral, save for her eyes. He could tell that she was thinking, revising her assessment of the situation. Suddenly that distraction sounded like a good idea.

"How old?" he asked and it only took her a second to catch on.

"Black and white old," she replied. "I have quite a selection." She got up and moved toward the bookcase closest to her tv, which contained an assortment of dvds. "We've got westerns, screwball comedies, film noir – any of that sound good to you?"

"You pick," he said. He wasn't really interested in watching a movie. It was just a good way to stop this conversation.

"Ok. How about a Road movie? There's not much plot to speak of but Hope and Crosby are great together." He shrugged, leaving it up to her.

She put in a movie called _Road to Morocco_ and returned to the couch. He could feel her watching him from time to time but he kept his eyes on the screen. She was right; the two actors were funny together. Insults and one-liners flew back and forth. The film was half-way over when he realized that he was reminded of bantering with Wilson. He wondered if the younger man would have enjoyed the movie. What was he doing right now? Was he talking to Amber in the rest of the apartment now that House was gone, or did he still have to retreat to his bedroom for that?

* * *

It was all she could do not to gasp when he told her that his friend knew he was here. What sort of a person, she wondered, would let his addicted friend return from rehab to an apartment full of drugs? Clearly he wasn't much of a friend.

She hadn't been surprised when Greg had jumped back to the movie idea. As much as she wanted to know more about what had happened to him, she was afraid to push. She'd gotten pushy with the laundry the night before and he'd fled. She was determined not to do that again.

He hadn't wanted to pick so she'd chosen an old favorite. A Road movie never failed to distract her. She loved to watch Hope and Crosby try to top one another's jokes. She darted glances at her neighbor as the movie played. He kept his eyes on the screen, his face showing no reaction to what he was watching. Perhaps this wasn't the best choice, she thought. Maybe something with a more involved plot would have been a better distraction.

Something changed about half-way through the film. The defeated slump of his shoulders, which had eased once he'd sat down with the dog, returned. His brow furrowed. She was certain that he had no idea what was happening on the screen anymore. He was lost in his own unhappy thoughts again. She wanted to reach out to him but she remembered him shying away from her touch the night before.

Maggie had no such inhibitions. She moved on the couch, putting her front feet onto his good leg and looking up at him. Her tail wagged hesitantly and she squeaked. He glanced down at her and her tail moved faster. She moved up onto his chest, leaning into him, continuing to look up at him.

"What does she want?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the dog.

"She's hugging you," Sarah said. "She doesn't have arms so she just…leans." He nodded, still looking at the dog. He shifted his arm around, trying to find a comfortable position for it now that the dog had moved and finally wound up putting it around her. Maggie laid her head against his shoulder and sighed.

* * *

The movie had ended five minutes ago. Sarah had turned off the tv but House was still sitting on her couch. The dog was pressed up against him and he could feel her heartbeat, more rapid than a human's, against his chest. His neighbor had gone into her kitchen and he could smell chili cooking.

Part of him wanted to move, to get out of there, but he didn't know where to go. His apartment seemed cold and dark. Wilson wasn't speaking to him. Cuddy was with Lucas and Rachel; she wouldn't want him there. His team thought he was evil.

He'd been staring at the floor but when he heard Sarah returning he looked up. She sat back down on the couch and looked at him. She gave him a small smile but her eyes were worried.

"I've got a pot of chili on the stove. Are you hungry?"

"No," he said.

"Ok. It'll keep. There's plenty there if you get hungry later."

"You don't have to feed me."

"I know." She looked away, and he studied her. Her hair was loose today, tucked back behind her ears. It was a rich brown and fell past her shoulder blades. Her eyes were also brown. Yesterday he'd thought she was in her mid-twenties but studying her up close he could see faint lines around her eyes that made him think she was older than that. She had on a long-sleeved aqua-colored v-necked shirt and jeans. She wore no jewelry other than a small diamond on a chain around her neck. Her nails were unpainted and he didn't see a trace of make-up on her face.

He shifted his gaze from her to the room. Her apartment's layout was a mirror image of his own. A desk sat in the corner where his piano was, turned at the same angle as his piano. Her couch was turned to face toward the door. She had two wing-backed chairs sitting at right angles to the couch. There was no coffee table but there were suede-covered ottomans, one by each chair. They were bright red and on wheels. A sofa table sat behind the couch. He couldn't turn to look with the dog on him but he remembered that the back wall of the room was lined with book-cases, all of which were full. The light colors made the room seem larger than his living room.

His gaze came back to his hostess and he found that she was watching him. He suddenly felt trapped, pinned beneath the dog and her gaze. He shifted on the couch.

"Can I move her?" he asked.

"Of course. Here, I'll get her." Sarah moved over to lift off the dog. Her hair swung forward, and he caught a whiff of her shampoo's scent. She moved back, dog in her arms, and he got up, hobbling at first as his leg adjusted. He went to her bookcases and started studying the titles.

There was an entire five-shelf case full of books related to the US Civil War. Two shelves in the next case seemed to be different editions of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes' stories, and the shelves beneath those contained Holmes novels from different authors. There was a Persian slipper on the middle shelf, sitting in front of the books, and House picked it up for a second. There was only packing paper in the toe; no tobacco. The third case contained more novels. He recognized a few of the author's names: Rex Stout, Margery Allingham, and Raymond Chandler, amongst them. He moved over toward her desk. Its surface was mostly bare, save for a laptop resting in the center and a pencil cup on one corner.

He turned to look back to the couch, where she was watching him.

"What do you do in the history department?" he asked.

"I'm the administrative assistant to the department chair and the office manager."

"Do you like it?"

"It depends on which faculty members I'm dealing with. What about you? Do you like being a doctor?"

"I like puzzles."

"What kind of doctor are you?"

"I run the Diagnostics department. We get cases that have stumped other doctors."

"And you solve the puzzles. That must be exciting."

"There's a lot of waiting to see what happens next." He didn't want to talk about the hospital; that would make him think about his team and that would lead to thinking about Cuddy and Wilson.

* * *

Sarah had watched while he'd done a tour of her living room, scanning her bookshelves and winding up by her desk. He'd asked her about her job but tensed up when she asked about his. She was trying to think of a safe topic but was coming up empty. Maybe the best thing to do was be direct. She got up from the couch and moved around so she was standing at the end and leaning against the arm. She didn't want to crowd him.

"Can I ask you something?" she said. "If I'm out of line, just say so and we'll drop it."

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"What's wrong with your leg?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Bonus posting for the day! This is a short one; that's just the way it worked out. I still own nothing related to House. Darn it.**

He looked at her without speaking for what felt like a long time and Sarah was afraid she'd made a huge mistake. Finally he looked away and started walking, moving toward the door. He got halfway there and then turned, going back toward the desk. She was so relieved to realize that he was pacing and not fleeing that she almost laughed.

"I had an infarction – a blood clot in an artery in my thigh. My only symptom was pain. By the time the doctors knew what it was, some of the muscle had died. A surgeon removed the dead tissue." He spoke while he paced, not looking at her.

"What caused it – the clot I mean?" He stopped pacing, looking over at her. "Clots don't just form at random, right? Something had to cause it."

"We never determined the cause," he said, resuming his pacing. "When it was happening, everyone was concerned with figuring out what was wrong and then with fixing it. Afterwards… I wasn't thinking very clearly, afterwards." He fell silent, continuing to pace.

"Well," Sarah said after a moment. "Thank you for answering my question." She pushed herself off of the couch arm. "I'm going to have a bowl of chili now." She went to the kitchen and got down a couple of bowls from the cabinet. She was just ladling out some chili for herself when she heard the thump of his cane and turned to find him in the doorway of the kitchen. She left the ladle on a spoon rest by the stove and took her bowl to the table. He joined her there a minute later with a bowl of his own. Sarah had to work hard to keep from grinning. Not only had he stayed and answered her question, but now he was sitting at her table, eating. She was getting better at this.

"I think your dog is hungry," he said, interrupting her ruminations. She looked over to see her dog jumping against the side of his chair. Sarah stood up quickly, moving to the cupboard with the dog food.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Maggie. Let me get you your dinner." She measured the dog's food out onto a plate and put it down beside her water bowl. Maggie looked disappointed to find that it wasn't chili but started eating it all the same. Sarah went back to the table. All her nerves were returning. She could still mess this up if she wasn't careful. She swirled her spoon through her chili, her appetite gone. After a few more minutes, he pushed his bowl away and she got up to take them both to the sink. His was still half-full, just like hers.

As she was cleaning out the bowls at the sink she heard him get up and leave the kitchen. She strained her ears, trying to hear over the running water, and exhaled the breath she'd been holding when she didn't hear the apartment door open. Music started playing and she realized he'd turned on her stereo. She heard Maggie bark once and when she looked over her shoulder to the doorway, a reddish-brown streak went by.

* * *

House ate half a bowl of chili. It was delicious but he didn't feel very hungry. His stomach was in knots. Sarah had tensed up half-way through the meal and hadn't finished her bowl either. When she'd taken the dishes to the sink, he got up and returned to the living room.

It took him a minute to figure out her stereo. When the music started he felt some of his tension ease. The dog had followed him and when he turned from the stereo, she was sitting with the half-stuffed blue dog in front of her, wagging her tail at him. He took a seat in the wing-back that faced down the hallway and Maggie barked. He snagged the toy with his cane and threw it down the hall, watching the dog race after it.

It was easy to know what to do with Maggie. He was less sure how to proceed with Sarah. He could tell that she was walking on eggshells around him, trying not to say the wrong thing. Trouble was, he wasn't sure what to tell her the right things were. Even talking about work had bothered him.

House scooped up the dog toy and pitched it toward the hallway. Sarah stepped out of the kitchen just as he let go and the toy flew at her, smacking her squarely in the face. The toy dropped from her face to rest on her chest for a second before falling to the floor.

House had frozen the second the toy hit, waiting for Sarah's reaction. Her startled expression was replaced with a frown as the toy fell away. Her stern expression was belied by her twitching lips, however, and a second later she burst out laughing.

House felt relief flood through him and he started to laugh too. Really, he thought, what am I worrying about? If she didn't run away when she saw all those pills, she's not going to kick me out for accidentally hitting her with a dog toy. The tension between them evaporated.

Sarah settled on the couch and House continued to throw the toy for Maggie to chase. They chatted about the music and the movie they'd just watched, Sarah regaling him with behind-the-scenes tales she'd read. The conversation moved on to different kinds of music and other movies. House told her about playing piano in a jazz band in college and she talked about working backstage for a college play. The evening passed quickly and House was surprised when he glanced at the clock and saw that it was after ten. In spite of sleeping in that morning, it had been an exhausting day and he was tired. Sarah had yawned a couple of times when she'd thought he wasn't looking. He knew he should go, but the thought of going back to his apartment made his stomach knot up again.

Sarah yawned again and he knew it was time. The drugs are gone, he reminded himself. I'm just going to go to bed. I'll be fine.

* * *

Sarah tried to stifle another yawn and failed. It had been a long day. She was tired and ready to go to bed but her neighbor didn't seem ready to leave. She didn't want to run him off but she was about to nod off in her seat.

"I should go," he said, sitting up straighter in the chair. She looked over at him. He was tense again. She felt torn. He clearly didn't want to go back to his apartment but she was really tired. Should she offer him the couch? Walk him to his apartment? She remembered last night and feared that either offer would be too pushy. Everything had been going so well; she didn't want to spoil it.

"Will you be ok?" she asked. He got slowly to his feet, rubbing at his thigh.

"Yeah," he said. He hesitated before turning to go to the door. She got to her feet as well. She needed to take Maggie out before bed. She walked with him toward the door, wanting to get the dog's leash and harness from the hook beside it. He stopped, his hand on the door handle and she stopped too. He turned toward her. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Finally he took a shaky breath and spoke. His voice was low and if she'd still be on the couch she wouldn't have been able to make out what he was saying.

"Thank you for… everything." He opened the door and stepped out before she could answer. The door pulled shut and Sarah stared at it for a second.

"Good night," she murmured.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Thanks to all of you for the kind reviews! As always, I own nothing related to House.**

Sunday dawned clear and sunny. Sarah lazed in bed until almost 9, thinking over yesterday's events. She shuddered when she thought about going into Greg's apartment and disposing of his pills and alcohol. It had been a stupid, dangerous thing to do. Still, the whole time she'd been in his apartment, she'd never feared that he would harm her; it had seemed far more likely that he'd harm himself.

She thought about the "friend" who'd let him return to his apartment on his own and felt her temper flare. Where was this friend now? He knew Greg was out of rehab; he knew he was returning to an apartment full of pills. Why hadn't he done anything about it? She reminded herself that she didn't have the whole story; she didn't even have a portion of it. Maybe Greg had done something terrible to this man when he was using and the guy was having trouble forgiving him. That only soothed her for a second. She remembered the look on Greg's face when he'd opened his door that afternoon, the way his hand had been shaking when he took the mail from her, and anger coursed through her once more.

Maggie moved on the bed, crawling out from under the covers by Sarah's feet. She moved toward the head of the bed, slipping between Sarah's body and arm. She shoved her chest into Sarah's armpit and rested her chin on her shoulder. She looked at Sarah, tail wagging, and Sarah smiled at her.

"You like our neighbor, huh? I saw you hugging him." Maggie's tail wagged a little faster. There were times when Sarah swore that the dog understood English. "I don't know if we'll see him today or not. I hope we do."

* * *

When House had returned to his apartment, he'd gone to his piano bench and sat in the dark. A few minutes later he saw Sarah go past his window on the sidewalk, taking the dog out before going to bed. He waited, watching for her return. He was tired but he wanted to see that she and Maggie were safely back in the building before he went to bed.

He hadn't expected sleep to come easily that night, but he was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He slept late the next morning. It was almost 10am when he woke up. He lay in the bed, thinking about the previous day. The thought of all the pills he'd found made him shudder. He was still stunned by what Sarah had done. She hadn't hesitated when he'd asked for help, she'd disposed of the pills without asking a single question, and then she'd invited him to her apartment, offering him a distraction, food, and company.

The only question she'd asked all night had been about his leg, and her response to that had not been what he'd expected either. Instead of offering the usual pitying platitudes, she'd zeroed in on the puzzle. He remembered presenting the case to a class of medical students. Not one of them had asked about the underlying cause. They'd all done just what the doctors treating him at the time had done: focused on the immediate problem and its solution.

He got out of the bed slowly, wondering if he'd see her again today. Would she want to see him? She'd been calm and collected yesterday but she'd had the night to think about the dangers of befriending a drug addict. He knew the statistics. The odds were that he'd slip and wind up back on the Vicodin. Wilson had been right to distrust him, to worry about him self-destructing.

Thinking about Wilson filled House with trepidation. He had an appointment to meet Dr. Nolan today. The psychiatrist hadn't asked many questions when House had told him about Wilson evicting him, but they'd been on the phone. Today they were meeting face to face and House knew Nolan was going to want to know more about what had led up to Wilson's request and how House was coping with the situation. Do I tell him about finding the pills, House wondered. What would Nolan think of House's neighbor disposing of his stash?

By the time House was bathed and dressed, it was time to leave for his meeting with Nolan. He stepped out into the hallway, hoping to catch sight of Sarah but the hall was empty. His stomach rumbled and he was glad that he was meeting Nolan in a diner. They'd selected a place mid-way between Mayfield and Princeton because driving for too long made House's leg hurt.

The car started right up and House headed out of town. Traffic was light and he arrived at the diner a few minutes early. He wasn't surprised to discover that Nolan was already there, waiting in a back booth. House made his way to the booth and slid into the vinyl seat, feeling himself tense up in anticipation of the coming conversation.

"How are you this morning, House?" Nolan asked.

"Can we skip the small talk?"

"Of course. What would you like to talk about?"

* * *

Sarah didn't encounter her neighbor when she took Maggie out for her morning walk. She took her time getting back to her apartment, hoping he'd come out of his, but he didn't. She fed the dog her breakfast, showered and dressed, and decided to go to the store. She'd put her trip on hold yesterday after finding Greg with the pills and there were things she needed.

Once again she lingered in the hallway but her neighbor didn't appear. She was tempted to go knock on his door but she didn't want to be pushy. Maybe he was embarrassed by yesterday's events. Giving him his space seemed like the best plan, however difficult it was for her. She went on to the store.

Sarah wound up getting an early lunch while she was out, making her trip take longer than she'd originally planned. It was almost 1pm when she returned to her apartment. Once she'd greeted Maggie and put her purchases away, her thoughts returned to her neighbor. She took the dog out, hoping the whole time that they might meet up in the hall. When she returned from the park, she put Maggie into the apartment and went to Greg's door. She took a deep breath and knocked. There was no answer and she could hear no sounds coming from the apartment. Feeling disappointed, she went back to her own apartment.

* * *

House had just finished telling Nolan about finding the pills and how Sarah had disposed of them. He stopped talking, waiting for Nolan to react. The psychiatrist was still for a moment, taking in all that he had been told.

"What did you do?" Nolan asked finally.

"She invited me to her apartment," House said. "I went."

"And she didn't ask you any questions?"

"She asked about my leg. I told her about the infarction." House shook his head. "She… she asked what caused the blood clot. No one has ever asked me that before. I presented the case to a class of med students and not one of them asked that."

"You like that she asked."

"The infarction is boring. The underlying cause – that's the puzzle."

* * *

Sarah spent the afternoon at her desk. She wanted to be a writer and she had her current manuscript pulled up on her laptop, but she was having a hard time concentrating on her story. Her male protagonist kept going quiet and brooding on her, and his eyes were now a deep blue when she knew they'd been brown at the start of the story.

"This is ridiculous," she said, and Maggie lifted up her head to stare over the couch's arm at her. "I can't seem to focus. Do you want to go for a walk? Maybe some fresh air will clear my head."

When Sarah returned from her walk, there were two people waiting in the hallway outside her apartment door. She was startled to recognize two friends from her college days.

"Val? Tony? What are you doing here?" Laughing, Sarah rushed forward to hug her friends. They were all talking over one another, the dog joining in with barks, as Sarah unlocked the door and they went into her apartment.

* * *

House's appointment with Nolan had gone long. The psychiatrist hadn't asked many questions, letting House talk. When he did ask a question, it was designed to keep the conversation moving. House was still in control of what was being discussed.

"House," Nolan said when there was finally a pause, "do you realize you've been here talking to me for almost three hours?" House was startled.

"Am I keeping you from something more interesting back at the looney bin?"

"No," Nolan smiled. "I thought I might be keeping you from your neighbor."

"I doubt she wants to see me again," House said.

"There's only one way to find out, House. Go and see her."

* * *

Val and Tony took Sarah out for dinner. They were part of a traveling theater company, in town for a performance at the university the next night. They spent the first part of the meal catching up, exchanging updates about people they'd all known in college.

They were almost done with their meals before they ran out of friends in common to gossip about.

"So," Tony said, pushing away his plate. "What have you been up to, Sarah? Do you like the new job?"

"The job's alright. I get along with the faculty. There are a few who think that I must be a lower form of life since I don't have a PhD but most of them are alright."

"What about friends?" Val asked. "Have you met anyone?"

"There are some nice people at work. We get lunch together sometimes, even went to a movie a few weeks ago." Val's face fell.

"She means have you have you met anyone that you want to date," Tony clarified, laughing at Val.

"No, I haven't met anyone like that," Sarah said, chuckling. "I did… have something interesting happen Friday night. I met a new neighbor."

"Is he cute?" Val asked eagerly, leaning forward in her seat.

"Cute? No, that's not the word I'd use. He's too… mature for that."

"But attractive?"

"Definitely," Sarah replied.

"So, tell us what happened? How'd you meet him?" Val's grin was almost ear-to-ear. Sarah explained about encountering Greg on the sidewalk when Maggie had made her escape, then meeting him again in the laundry room. When she came to the part about inviting him in to her apartment, she saw Tony frown. His frown grew more pronounced when she mentioned leaving him in the apartment when she went to get her laundry.

"What?" she demanded, unable to stand his glare any longer.

"You just met the man and you left him alone in your apartment."

"He wasn't alone. Maggie was there."

"You know what I mean, Sarah. He could've robbed you, or attacked you."

"Tony," Val protested.

"I would have thought that you, of all people, would've been more careful," Tony said. Sarah felt all her earlier excitement fade. She was glad that she hadn't told her friends about disposing of Greg's stash of pills. She could imagine Tony's reaction to that!

* * *

When House returned to Baker Street, he had one thought in mind. He wanted to see Sarah. He'd spent the drive trying to think of what he could do to thank her for her help. Maybe he could buy her dinner, assuming she was willing to put up his company.

The street was crowded once more and he wound up parking half-way down the block. He made his way toward 221, walking as fast as he could. He wanted to see her before he lost his nerve.

He was a few yards from the front steps when the door to the building open. Three people came out, laughing and talking together. House came to a stop. The man in the group put an arm around one of the women, guiding her toward a car. The woman turned to look up at him, smiling. It was Sarah.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Here we go again! Still own nothing related to House. Many thanks for the kind reviews!**

Monday morning was cloudy. The skies looked ominous and threatening. Sarah hurried Maggie through their morning walk, expecting rain to start at any moment.

"If the weather is going to keep matching my moods, then I am going to have to cheer up," she told the little dog. She was still thinking about her conversation with Val and Tony the night before. Tony's disapproval annoyed her, even though she knew he had a valid concern. She'd had the same thought herself on Friday night. She could imagine how Tony would've reacted if she'd told him about going into Greg's apartment and flushing away his pills.

She thought back to Greg's embarrassed thank you as he left on Saturday night. It had had a finality about it, as if it was a good-bye in addition to a thank you. He probably doesn't want to see me again, Sarah thought. He's probably embarrassed. She was surprised at how sad and disappointed that thought made her feel.

* * *

Sunday evening had been interminable for House. He had stood on the sidewalk as Sarah had gotten into the car with her friends and they drove away. It wasn't until someone brushed past him that he came to himself and went on to his building.

His apartment was dark and felt chilly when he entered it. He turned on the lights but the living room still felt gloomy to him. He moved to his piano, dropping onto the bench and lifting the keyboard cover. The keys felt right under his fingers but he couldn't shake the horrible feeling that if he looked up, he'd see Amber leaning across the piano, smiling at him. He played a few notes, but the piano was out-of-tune. He forced himself to look up and exhaled a sigh of relief when Amber didn't appear.

House moved to his couch, but sitting there reminded him of his imaginary de-tox. He'd thought that he was shivering on the end of the couch, telling Cuddy where all his pills were hidden. The bathroom and bedroom contained more memories of hallucinations.

House wound up sitting at his kitchen table for most of the evening, playing games on his MacBook. The kitchen was the only room in the apartment that had no memories of hallucinations associated with it. When he finally went to bed, sleep did not come easily.

He woke up late on Monday morning. It was almost 9, which was when he usually arrived at the hospital. He'd showered and dressed as quickly as he could before heading out to his car. The car, which had behaved perfectly the previous day, was hard to start. It also stalled once on the drive to the hospital. It was after 10 when House pulled into his parking place.

House had expected to find Cuddy lying in wait for him when he entered the hospital, but the first person he saw was Wilson. The oncologist was standing by the reception desk, talking with a red-haired woman. His eyes met House's for a second before sliding away, back to the woman. He smiled, laughing at something the woman said. House went past, feeling stung. He wanted to stop and ask Wilson how he reconciled flirting with this woman when he was still talking to his dead girlfriend each night.

Upstairs, the conference room was empty. House hung up his coat and slung his backpack into a chair before making his way to the coffee maker. There was no coffee brewing and the sludge-coated pot was still in the sink. House gave a sigh of disgust and went into his office, intending to call the man who kept his piano tuned.

* * *

Sarah's morning at the office was frustrating. She had several things that she needed to accomplish but it seemed that some of her co-workers were conspiring to make it impossible for her to do her job. First there was an issue with a copier, then the secretary had a list of complaints about one of the student employees, and finally there was the professor who couldn't figure out how to turn on her new computer and docking station.

Sarah was feeling irritable when she left for lunch, and things only got worse when she reached the food court. There were long lines, and the seating area was crowded. She finally found a table and sat down at it. Unfortunately, the seating was close together so she could hear the entire conversation going on at the table behind her. Two women were complaining about their children's illnesses. Sarah tried to tune them out and concentrate on the newspaper she'd brought with her but one of the women's voices carried very well. Its nasally-tone got on Sarah's nerves. She was complaining about taking her child to a clinic and as she talked, Sarah realized it was the free clinic at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

"This doctor, he was such a jerk. Acted like it was beneath him to see us, that I was an idiot, and that there was nothing wrong with Parker. I wanted to take his cane away from him and hit him with it. I mean, honestly, what do we pay these people for?" Sarah froze. How many doctors with canes could there be working at Princeton-Plainsboro, she wondered. The woman's companion asked a question and the nasally voice went on.

"Oh, he said it was just a cold. Like I wouldn't know a cold when I see one! I told him he'd better run the tests to be sure."

"Yeah. What happened?"

"He ran the tests and of course he said they showed it was a cold, but I don't believe him. I know it's this swine flu. I'm taking Parker to the clinic over on Roosevelt if he isn't feeling better tonight." The women got up from the table and Sarah put down her paper, thinking about what she'd just over-heard.

The woman's description of Greg seemed totally out of character to Sarah. She couldn't see the shy, vulnerable man she'd met on Friday night inspiring anyone to violence. She shook her head. Clearly this woman was one of those people who was only happy when they had something to complain about.

* * *

House was dismayed to discover that the old man who tuned his piano had retired. He had just pulled out the phone book to see if he could find someone else when his team entered the conference room. Foreman was carrying a stack of blue file-folders, while Chase, Thirteen, and Taub were passing around a print-out. Chase put the print-out face-down on the table as he took his seat. House moved to his seat at the head of the table, taking a file folder from Foreman.

"What have we got?" he asked, flipping open the folder. Foreman started to go through the case and House moved to the white-board to write up the symptoms. As he passed by Chase, he reached over and snatched up the paper.

House hadn't been sure what he'd find on the paper – a joke Chase had received in his email or possibly even a message from Cameron. Instead there were a dozen small pictures of dogs, reminding him of mug-shots, with names and ages listed beneath each one. He stared at the pictures for second before looking up at his team and arching a brow.

"One of the nurses is considering adopting a rescue dog. Now that your curiosity is satisfied, can we get back to the medicine?" asked Thirteen, rolling her eyes. House nodded, setting the paper back down on the table. They went on with the differential.

House ended their discussion by sending Taub, Foreman and Thirteen out to run more tests and check out the patient's home. He told Chase to clean out the coffee-pot before joining the others.

As soon as the Australian's back was turned, House picked up the paper again, studying the dog's faces. In the center of the page was an image of dachshund, with the caption "Sally, female, aged 2." He looked up guiltily as the door to the conference room swung open and Thirteen came in. She froze, staring at him in surprise and he dropped the sheet back to the table.

"I forgot my stethoscope," she said, moving to retrieve it from the table. House nodded, and started for his own office. He still needed to find a piano tuner. He didn't see the puzzled looks that Chase and Thirteen exchanged behind his back.

* * *

The skies had threatened rain all day without following through. Sarah was returning from the park with Maggie when there was a crack of thunder and the skies opened up. Rain came down in sheets. She scooped up the dog and ran for the apartment building.

She was soaked by the time she reached the front steps, her clothing clinging to her. She hurried in to her apartment, struggling to get out of her wet shoes before making her way to the bathroom for towels.

Sarah had just finished drying herself off and was pulling on dry clothing when she heard a knock on her door. She made her way there, throwing down a towel on a puddle by her front door before opening the door. She was surprised and pleased to find Greg standing there.

"Hi," she said, feeling her heart rate increase. He held out an envelope to her.

"I got your mail today," he said.

"You're kidding," she said, taking the envelope from him. "Thanks for bringing this by."

"No problem," he said, starting to turn away. Maggie began to bark from her place behind the baby-gate. Sarah turned to see that she was standing on her hind legs, her front feet on the baby gate and her tail wagging furiously.

"Do you want to come in for a minute?" Sarah asked.

"Ok." His voice was calm but Sarah swore his eyes had lit up at the offer.

* * *

House's breath had caught when he'd seen the envelope amongst his mail. He'd spent most of the day trying not to think about Sarah, without much success. The print-out with the dog pictures on it had remained on the conference room table, and each time he'd caught a glimpse of the dachshund's face, he'd been reminded of his neighbor and her dog. Now he had an excuse to go see them. He dropped his coat and mail in his own apartment and went across the hall. His heart was pounding when he knocked on the door.

It had only taken her a minute to open the door. Her hair was wet, curling about her face. She was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, knit pants, and her feet were bare. She'd seemed surprised to see him. He'd felt elated when the little dog started barking and Sarah invited him in.

"Be careful," she warned him, sweeping aside a towel on the floor with her foot before moving the baby-gate. "We got caught in the rain and I'm still mopping up puddles." The dog danced around his ankles, making it difficult to know where he could step without landing on her. Sarah reached down to scoop her up, and he moved to the couch, stepping around another towel.

As soon as he sat, she put the dog down. Maggie immediately ran to the couch and leapt up beside him, her tail a blur. She was wagging her entire back end. House reached out to rub behind her ears, smiling. Sarah moved around quickly, scooping up towels. She took them down the hall, returning a minute later and dropping into one of the chairs. Her face was flushed.

The silence hung heavily between them and House could feel himself growing tense. Say something, you idiot, he scolded himself.

"So…" he began.

"How…" she started. They both stopped, staring at each other. Then Sarah laughed, and he felt himself smile.

"You go first," Sarah offered.

"Do you like Thai food?" House asked. "I know a place that delivers."

"I've never had Thai before," Sarah said. "You'll have to tell me what's good."

House made some recommendations and then placed their order. Sarah started up the music again and took Maggie to the kitchen to feed her. House went to the window to look outside. The rain was still coming down hard.

"It looks nasty out there," Sarah said, coming up beside him. "I hope the delivery guy can park somewhere close. We're going to owe him a big tip for coming out in this."

* * *

Greg had insisted on paying for their dinner. Sarah had told him it wasn't necessary but he'd remained firm and she'd backed down. The food was spicy and delicious. She'd been feeling chilled from her dash through the rain but the meal warmed her. She cleaned up the kitchen and Greg went down the hall to her bathroom. She was just coming out of the kitchen when she heard a pounding sound from out in the hallway. Curious, she went to her door and looked through the peep-hole. Someone was pounding on her neighbor's door.

"What's going on?" Greg asked from behind her.

"A blonde man is knocking on your door," she said, turning around. Greg made his way quickly toward her door and she moved the gate aside for him.

"It's one of my fellows," he said. He opened the door and went out into the hallway. The blonde man turned as the door opened, and for a second their eyes met. Greg stepped between them and she heard the younger man ask,

"Who is that?"

"My dance instructor," Greg replied, pulling the door shut behind him. "Tonight we're learning the mambo in three easy lessons. What are you doing here?" The door shut with a click.

* * *

"You didn't answer your phone," Chase said. "We called Wilson but he said you weren't living there anymore."

"I'm assuming you didn't come here in the pouring rain just to confirm that Wilson and I aren't room-mates anymore. What's going on with the patient?"

"He's spiking a fever."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Here we go again. I still own nothing related to House. For the purposes of my story, I am assuming that House's attempt to break up Cuddy and Lucas fails. We'll find out tonight if I'm wrong. :) **

Sarah was surprised when there was a knock on her door. It had only been five minutes since Greg had gone out into the hall to talk to his fellow. She'd assumed that he had a case and would be on his way to the hospital. Instead, he was standing in the hallway, cell-phone in hand.

"You're back," she said. "I thought you had to leave."

"Nope. This is the waiting to see what happens part."

"So, your patient?"

"There are four doctors monitoring him. One of them will call me the second anything changes." He held up his cell phone. "The thing about waiting is, I can do it just about anywhere." Sarah felt herself smile. He was choosing to do his waiting here, with her. She opened the door wider and stepped back to let him into the apartment.

"Ok," she said. "Now, about those mambo lessons…"

* * *

House woke up early on Tuesday morning. He'd been dreaming and for a few minutes he lay in his bed, trying to remember what the dream had been about. The details were fading fast but he realized that, whatever the dream itself had been about, he now had an idea about what was wrong with his patient.

He looked at his clock, moaning when he saw that it was only 6:30, and got out of bed. He wanted to get to the hospital and present his solution to his sleep-deprived team. Watching their reaction would make getting up this early worthwhile.

House's car didn't seem to like the early start any better than he did. The engine refused to turn over. He was just getting out of it, debating on calling his team after all, when Sarah came down the front steps.

"Good morning," she said, coming over to him. "Was it you I heard arguing with a car?"

"Yeah." House hesitated. Should he ask her for a lift to the hospital? "Would you mind…"

"Do you need…" They both stopped and Sarah laughed. "There we go again. C'mon, I'll drop you off." He followed her down a few spots to a small red car.

"I'm not taking you out of your way, am I?" he asked.

"Nope. I drive right past the hospital on my way in to work." She unlocked the car door for him before going around to her side. House was glad to have the chance to get himself into the car without her watching. It was always awkward, maneuvering the leg.

They were silent on the drive. The car radio was playing quietly, tuned in to an oldies station. House glanced at Sarah and saw her tapping the steering wheel to the beat. He leaned over to turn up the music and she looked over at him and smiled.

When they reached the parking lot, Sarah drove up to the entrance, pulling in close to the sidewalk to let House out. As she came to a stop, he glanced out over the parking lot and spotted Cuddy walking in from her car. Their eyes met for a second before she looked away, no doubt taking in House's chauffer.

"Thanks," House said, looking back to Sarah. He wanted to get out before Cuddy reached them.

"I can come by this evening, around 5:30?" Sarah offered.

"I… I'll have to see how my case goes."

"Ok. Here," Sarah handed him a slip of paper. "That's my cell number. Give me a call if you need a ride."

"Thanks again," House said. Cuddy was getting closer and he wanted to get away. He got out of the car as fast as his bad leg would allow him and hobbled toward the building.

* * *

Sarah had heard the car refusing to start from inside her apartment. When she got out to the sidewalk, she saw Greg, standing next to a battered grey car. The hospital was right on her way to work and she was leaving early so she decided to offer him a lift.

They didn't talk on the drive but Sarah didn't feel awkward. The Temptations were singing on her radio and she smiled when Greg reached over to turn up the volume. When they reached the hospital, she drove up to the entrance to let him out. She turned to offer to pick him up at the end of the day but he was staring across the parking lot and she followed his gaze. A brunette woman was making her way toward them. Sarah looked back to Greg and winced at the raw hurt she saw in his face. She looked back to the woman, wanting to see her reaction. The woman had stopped her walk and was frowning at Sarah. Their eyes met for a second before the woman looked away. Wow, thought Sarah, she doesn't like me being here. I wonder who she is, and what she's done to Greg. She turned back to him.

"I can come by this evening, around 5:30?" she offered.

"I… I'll have to see how my case goes." He clearly wanted to get away before the woman caught up to him. Sarah grabbed a slip of paper and scribbled down her cell phone number.

"Ok. Here. That's my cell number. Give me a call if you need a ride."

"Thanks again." Greg took the paper and moved his leg out of the car. He hobbled toward the building. A second later the mystery woman passed in front of Sarah's car, shooting another glance at her as she did. Sarah smiled at her. Let her wonder, she thought. Once the woman reached the sidewalk, Sarah drove away slowly, thinking over what she'd seen.

* * *

The elevator doors shut as Cuddy entered the lobby and House felt relieved. He didn't want to explain who Sarah was. When he reached his floor, he found the halls dim. He passed the conference room without going in, noting his team sitting around the table, shoulders slumped. He went into his office to hang up his coat and heard them talking.

"So, House isn't living with Wilson anymore?" Thirteen was asking.

"Apparently. He was back at his building last night, but he wasn't in his apartment. He was with some woman, across the hall," Chase said.

"Who is she?" asked Taub.

"He said she was his dance instructor," Chase replied. "I don't know – maybe he's got a hooker for a neighbor. That'd be convenient." House froze. He wanted to storm into the room and tell Chase to shut up. He didn't like hearing his team speculating about Sarah. He moved, flinging open the door into the office and was pleased to watch everyone around the table jump in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Foreman asked. "It's not even 8 am yet."

"I've solved our case," House replied. He started out of the conference room, turning at the door to see them all staring at him. "C'mon. This will be much cooler with an audience."

Once House had finished revealing the solution to the case, he left his team to start the treatment. He returned to his office and called a tow truck to get his car and take it to a shop. Then he called his mechanic to let him know the car was coming. The shop was backed up and the mechanic didn't think he'd even be able to look at the car until the next day. House grumbled, but there was no budging the man. He hung up, feeling exasperated. It seemed he was going to have to continue to rely on Sarah, or start taking the bus.

Three of his team returned to the conference room. Foreman, House noted, was missing. The other members of the team looked exhausted. House sent Taub and Thirteen to grab a nap. He told Chase to complete the patient's chart; he was still annoyed at him for his comment about Sarah.

Foreman came into the conference room a few minutes later, just as the phone on House's desk rang. Cuddy was on the other line.

"My office. Now," was all she said. House got to his feet, noticing that Foreman was speaking quietly to Chase. Neither of the fellows would meet his gaze as he made his way across the conference room and out into the hallway.

* * *

The office was quiet. The department chair was out in meetings and the other faculty seemed capable of taking care of themselves today. Sarah knew she should take advantage of this quiet time to work on the projects she hadn't been able to deal with the previous day, but she couldn't seem to concentrate. Her thoughts kept turning back to what she'd seen that morning in the hospital parking lot. There had been a lot going on in those looks between Greg and the dark-haired woman. Who was she? She'd been well-dressed, in expensive clothing. The skirt was cut a bit tighter than Sarah would have chosen for office wear but the woman wore it with confidence. Maybe it's some feminist thing, Sarah thought. One of those I'm still a woman even if I'm the boss things. She had definitely moved with authority. She hadn't seemed pleased to see Greg in Sarah's company. Sarah couldn't decide if the frown was one of jealousy or suspicion.

A student employee came in, chatting in excitement about something that had just happened in class, and Sarah put aside her speculations to listen. The quiet of the office was shattered and Sarah moved on with her work.

* * *

Cuddy was on the phone when House entered. She waved him toward a chair in front of her desk.

"I've got to go," she said. "I'll talk to you later. Kiss Rachel for me." She hung up the phone as House took a chair. He was working hard to keep his features composed. She'd obviously been talking to Lucas.

"You wanted to see me," he said. The small smile she'd had on her face dropped away, her expression turning to a mixture of anger and concern.

"You aren't living with Wilson anymore," she said.

"Foreman told you," he said. Now he knew what Foreman and Chase had been discussing so quietly.

"It doesn't matter how I found out," Cuddy said dismissively. "Is it true?"

"Yes." Cuddy stared at him, clearly wanting to hear more. When he didn't offer anything else, she pushed on.

"When did this happen?"

"I moved back to my old apartment on Friday."

"What happened?"

"I'm 50 years old," House replied. "I think I'm a bit old for a baby-sitter."

"What happened?" Cuddy pressed again. Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to Wilson this time?"

"He was jealous that I didn't bring home a hooker for him too," House said. Cuddy glared at him.

"House, this is serious. Your therapist wanted you to stay with someone…"

"He knows that I've moved," House replied. "Are we done?" He started to rise from the chair. Cuddy glared at him.

"Yeah, we're done," she said. House continued to his feet and left her office. No doubt her next step would be talking to Wilson. Then she'd call him again, try to play mediator the way she had after Amber died. With a sigh, House turned around and went back into her office. She looked up in surprise, putting down the phone she'd just lifted.

"Wilson is an oncologist at this hospital, not my keeper. He's not responsible for me." Cuddy stared at him.

"What happened?" she asked again, her tone gentle this time.

"Just leave him alone," House said.

"Are you using again? Is that what this is about?" Cuddy's tone turned angry. "If you're…"

"I am NOT using again."

"Then what happened?"

"Wilson asked me to leave. I left."

"And that's all there is to it? You didn't do anything…"

"I didn't do anything," House insisted. He didn't do anything but know about Amber. He couldn't tell Cuddy that. He hadn't told anyone that, not even Nolan. It was Wilson's secret.

"Right." She shook her head at him in disgust. "I don't know why I'm surprised."

"Neither do I," House said quietly. He turned and left her office.

* * *

Sarah was just locking the office door behind her when her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse, frowning at the unfamiliar number. It was a local number so she went ahead and answered it, finding Greg on the other end.

"Could I have that lift?" he asked quietly.

"Sure. I'll see you shortly."

The traffic leaving campus was bad, as usual. Sarah drummed impatiently on her steering wheel. She hated stop-and-go traffic anyway, but knowing that Greg was waiting for her made her more impatient.

It was just after 5:30 when she got to the hospital. He was waiting outside the entrance, leaning against the building. His head was down and his shoulders were slumped. He got into the car without saying anything, sinking back into the seat.

"Long day?" she asked.

"Yeah." There was something wrong; he'd had that same slump to his shoulders Saturday afternoon. What would be the best thing for her to do, she wondered. Should I try to get him to tell me what's wrong, or should I offer him another distraction? Neither idea seemed like a good one. They made the drive home in silence.

Sarah parked the car and walked with Greg into the building. He went straight to his apartment door. She stopped in the hallway, watching him. He turned before he entered the apartment.

"Thanks for the lift," he said. He went inside and shut the door. Sarah stared at it for a moment before going into her own apartment. He was definitely upset, but she didn't get the feeling that it was aimed at her. She took Maggie for her walk, wondering the whole time if there was some way that she could help. She was half-way back to the apartment when she had an idea.

"Maggie, I'm going to go out for a few minutes. I'm going to try to get Greg to come stay with you while I'm gone. You've got to be good for him; he's had a bad day. Ok?" She hurried up the steps into the apartment and put Maggie into her apartment before heading across the hall to knock on Greg's door.

"I need some help," Sarah said immediately. He stared at her for a moment and then nodded.

"What can I do?"

"I have to go out and pick up some things for a reception at work tomorrow. I completely forgot to do it this weekend. If I leave Maggie now, she'll be so hyper by the time I return that I'll never get her calmed down in time to go to sleep. Could you please stay with her? I won't be long." Again he stared at her. She was afraid he was going to say no, or tell her to go away.

"Ok."

"Thanks," Sarah said. "I really appreciate this." She led him across the hall to her apartment. "I'm just going to get her dinner for her and then I'll run." She hurried into her kitchen, measuring out the dog's food, and then came back to the living room to get her coat and purse. Greg sat down in one of the chairs. "I won't be long." She put the baby gate back up and hurried out. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Well, I'm not sure what to think about that episode last night. I was really disappointed in House's behavior, and even more with Cuddy's! Anyway, on with the story. **

House hadn't wanted to answer the door. He was certain that Sarah was on the other side. He couldn't understand why she would want anything to do with him after his silence on the drive home. She was doing him a favor and he could barely muster up the where-withal to thank her.

"I need some help," she'd said the moment he opened the door, and he hadn't felt like he could refuse, not after all the help she'd given him. She rattled something off about needing to go out and wanting him to stay with her dog. He'd reluctantly followed her to her apartment, feeling certain that he was being set up for something. She'd hurried out of there, no doubt running to get away before he could change his mind.

He dropped into one of the chairs, looking down her hallway. A minute later he heard the clatter of toenails on the floor and Maggie came into view. She saw him and her tail started to wag. Her whole back end was wagging as she raced to leap into his lap. He pulled his head back just in time to avoid being licked on the face. She stood on her hind legs, front feet on his chest, tongue stretching toward his face. Her tail was still wagging.

"Ok," he said to her. "Enough. You're putting me on." The dog just looked at him, her eyes shining. It looked like she was smiling. She lunged and managed to lick his cheek. He laughed in spite of himself. Suddenly he felt as if a weight had been lifted. No matter what else had happened today, this dog was happy to see him. He rubbed her behind her ears, putting an arm around her and pulling her into a quick hug before setting her on the floor. "Where's your toy?"

* * *

Sarah felt herself getting tense and she turned the car onto Baker Street. What if her plan hadn't worked? She didn't know what she'd do if he still had that dejected look about him. Maybe she could get him to talk to her.

She parked down the street and collected her purchases. There wasn't any reception at work the next day but she'd gone ahead and purchased paper plates and cups, along with plastic silverware. There was a birthday party scheduled for next week and she figured she'd be ready early.

Her curtains were closed so she couldn't get a glimpse into her apartment to see what was going on. She made her way into the building, feeling her heart-rate increase. She got to the door of her apartment and stopped, taking a deep breath. Here goes, she thought. I hope this worked. She unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Hey, I'm back," she said, closing the door behind her. Greg met her at the gate, moving it aside so she could come the rest of the way in.

"Got what you needed?" he asked. She looked at him and thought, it looks like you did. That defeated slump was gone.

"Yeah. Thanks for watching Maggie. I picked up some dinner while I was out. Are you hungry?" She carried her bags into the kitchen and Greg followed her.

"So, what's this reception for?" he asked. She put her bags on the counter and turned to look at him.

"It's a birthday party, actually. Next week." She met his eyes. He was thinking; she could almost see the wheels turning. After a moment he nodded and stepped toward the table.

"What'd you pick up for dinner?"

* * *

House hadn't been surprised when Sarah admitted that there was no reception at her office the next day. He'd suspected a ruse when she'd asked him to stay with the dog. He had to admit, it had been a pretty good plan. Playing with the dog had made him feel better.

The fact that Sarah had come up with this plan surprised House. Why should she care, he thought. She barely knows me. He remembered his conversation with Cuddy that morning. The people who did know him knew that he was a jerk. How long, he wondered, until Sarah figures that out? Maybe I should just tell her.

When they'd finished eating, House helped gather up the dishes. He rinsed them at the sink while Sarah loaded the dishwasher. They hadn't talked during the meal and he could feel the tension building. She'd been watching him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction to her admission. It almost made him laugh. Making up an excuse to leave him with a dog was pretty tame compared to some of the things that Wilson, and Cuddy, had done to him. At least he hadn't wound up unconscious on the floor.

When they returned to the living room, Sarah went to the stereo. House sat on the couch, feeling his heart thumping in his chest. She turned on the music and moved to sit beside him. He took a shaky breath.

"My boss is upset that I've moved back into my old apartment," he said. He looked over at her. She looked puzzled but she didn't ask him anything. He looked away again and went on. "When I got out, my psychiatrist wanted me to stay with someone. I moved in with my friend, Wilson." He looked back to Sarah. Puzzlement had been replaced with thoughtfulness. She was reassessing what she thought she'd figured out.

"How long have you been out?" she asked.

"Nine weeks."

"How did your boss….. Your fellow, who was here last night, told your boss."

"He just told the rest of my team. One of them went to my boss to tell her."

* * *

Sarah's mind was whirling. She wanted to ask so many questions. Was this Wilson person the "friend" Greg had thought cleaned out the apartment? Why had he moved out? Was the boss the woman she'd seen in the parking lot? What were his fellows like? Which one of them had gone to the boss? What had made him so dejected this evening? Something that the boss said? He was watching her, waiting for her to say something.

"I… I don't know what to say," she admitted.

"You have questions."

"Yeah. But I don't know what you're comfortable telling me. You have to decide that."

"You sound like my shrink," he muttered.

"I know that talking doesn't always help," Sarah said. Sometimes, she thought, it just reminds you how miserable you are. He gave her a grim smile.

"No, it doesn't." He sighed. "I wasn't just in rehab. I was in a mental hospital. I was there for six weeks."

"Ok." Was he trying to shock her? Was he pushing to see if she'd crack and start asking questions? She wasn't sure how to respond to this revelation. She didn't want to stop the flow; if he wanted to talk to her, then she was willing to listen.

"I started… hallucinating. Seeing people who weren't there."

"From the drugs?"

"Yeah. After I was clean, the hallucinations went away. But the doctor at the hospital – my shrink – wanted me to stay. He thought who I was seeing meant that I had more to deal with than just getting sober."

"So you stayed."

"He wasn't going to recommend that I get my medical license back if I didn't."

"That seems… reasonable." He gave her a sharp look and she froze. Then he smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." He looked away again and Sarah waited. It was so hard to sit by quietly but she was amazed at how much he was revealing and didn't want to do anything that would make him stop. "I think he was wrong about me moving in with Wilson. I needed to be with someone, maybe, but not Wilson." Why not was on the tip of Sarah's tongue and she clamped her mouth shut tight. He looked over at her again and arched a brow.

"I told you. It's up to you what you choose to tell me," Sarah said.

"I just told you that I've been in the looney bin."

"I know. Am I supposed to freak out about that?"

"Some people might."

"Well, I guess I'm not one of them."

"I'm an addict who had hallucinations and wound up in the looney bin. That doesn't scare you?"

"You're also an addict who, when he found several bottles of pills in his apartment, asked for help disposing of them."

"People don't change."

"Of course they do."

"I'm always going to be an addict."

"You're always going to have a choice about whether or not you give in to that addiction. Calling you an addict is truthful, but it isn't the whole truth."

* * *

"I'm always going to be an addict," he told her.

"You're always going to have a choice about whether or not you give in to that addiction. Calling you an addict is truthful, but it isn't the whole truth." She flushed and looked away from his gaze.

"You really believe that," he said and she looked back up at him.

"People always have a choice."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Still don't own House. I'm going to try to get chapter 12 up later today as I won't be able to update on Turkey Day. Just in case I don't make it - hope you all have a wonderful holiday!**

When House walked through the doors of PPTH Wednesday morning, Cuddy was waiting for him, standing beside the reception desk. His step faltered for a second before he continued on his way toward the elevators. Cuddy stepped away from the reception desk, blocking his path.

"House," she said.

"Dr. Cuddy."

"Please come with me to my office." They locked eyes for a moment. When Cuddy turned away, House followed her. He didn't even take a moment to admire her skin-tight skirt.

House followed Cuddy into her office. She took a few steps inside the door before turning to face him. He stopped in the doorway.

"Shut the door," she said quietly and he stepped the rest of the way inside, closing the door behind him. "I talked to Wilson."

"I told you. I'm not Wilson's responsibility."

"No, you're not," Cuddy said, sounding weary. "But you are a doctor at this hospital – my hospital. I signed off on your hours so you could get your license back. I am responsible for making sure that you are capable of providing patient care."

"Wha…" House was flabbergasted. Cuddy cut him off.

"I want you to submit to a drug test."

"Fine. You want me to pee in a cup, I'll…"

"No. We'll be doing a blood test. Once a week."

"For how long?" House was incredulous.

"Until further notice."

"You don't think that maybe you're overreacting? Just because I'm not living with Wilson…"

"He said he picked you up from a bar."

"I had ginger ale!" House was furious now. Why would no one believe him about the damn ginger ale?

"This isn't up for debate, House. Take the blood test or don't work here. Your choice."

* * *

Sarah had been surprised when Greg didn't bolt from her apartment. She'd really thought she'd pushed too hard. He had been so focused on his failures – he hadn't given himself any credit for Saturday. She couldn't let him ignore that. It was a victory – he'd faced down temptation.

He'd been quiet after she'd told him that people always had choices. It was something that she truly believed, but she'd wanted to take it back right after she'd blurted it out. She'd felt exposed, and she'd known she'd been pushing too hard. She was relieved that he hadn't dismissed her. She wasn't sure how she would have taken that. Instead, he'd sat quietly for a few minutes before asking her if she had any of the other "Road" movies. They'd wound up watching _Road to Utopia_.

She'd dropped him off at the hospital again today. This time she hadn't seen anyone in the parking lot. She hoped he'd have a better day today. She wasn't going to be able to use her ruse of needing to run an errand again tonight and she didn't want to. She'd regretted lying to him the second she'd made the request. She should've been direct and honest with him, and she made a vow to do that with him from now on.

Sarah's thoughts were interrupted when a graduate student came back to her desk. She wanted some advice from Sarah about a research project she was working on. It turned out she was working on a paper charting the history of free health clinics in the area for a seminar on the history of public policy. There was one clinic that she hadn't been able to get any information on and that was the clinic at the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

"It's the only one that isn't funded with tax dollars; it's all done with private donations. I don't know who to talk to at the hospital," the student finished.

"I know someone who works there," Sarah said. "Let me ask him."

"Would you? That'd be great. Thanks so much, Sarah!"

* * *

House thought about his conversation with Sarah the previous evening as he waited in the clinic for his blood draw. He hadn't known how to respond to her. He'd thought she'd be frightened when she learned about his stay in the mental hospital. He'd been waiting for her to tell him to leave, but she never had. He'd described his failings and she'd responded by bringing up Saturday, as if it'd been some kind of victory.

Nurse Brenda took his blood sample, performing the procedure silently and efficiently. He was grateful for her silence. He found the whole process humiliating.

When House entered the conference room upstairs, only Chase was there. House gave him a nod in greeting and went on through to his office. He dropped into his desk chair. Chase came into the office.

"So, you're not living with Wilson anymore."

"Moved out on Friday. You win the pool?"

"Depends. When did he ask you to leave?"

"Last Tuesday."

"Damn." Chase turned and started for the conference room.

"What was your bet?" House asked.

"I had you making it through Thursday," Chase replied. He continued on his way. Foreman entered the conference room a minute later, followed by Thirteen and Taub. Taub was carrying a stack of blue file folders.

"Got a case!" he called out and House got up to go see what it was.

* * *

Sarah was feeling pretty good as she crossed the quad to return to her office from lunch. She had her mp3 player on, listening to "The Old Man of the Mountain" from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and though the air was chilly, the sun was shining. She knew she had a spring in her step. She looked out across the quad, shaking her head slightly at a student who'd paired a winter jacket with shorts and flip-flops. C'mon, Kids, she thought. It's December. Her eyes moved past the student and froze as they rested on a man leaning against the history department's building. Her heart started to race until the man looked up, giving her a good view of his face. Alright Sarah, she told herself. Stop being so paranoid. She went on into the building, the spring gone from her steps.

The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. All Sarah wanted was to go home and hug her dog. Her concentration was shot; the department chair had to speak several times before she realized he was talking to her. She was glad when it was finally five o'clock and she could leave.

She'd started to go straight home. Fortunately that route took her past the hospital and seeing it reminded her that she was supposed to give Greg a lift. He wasn't waiting for her outside this time, and she didn't want to wait in the parking lot alone. She pulled into a visitor's parking place and made her way into the building.

Sarah had just asked the woman manning the reception desk where she could find Dr. House's office when a man spoke to her. She recognized his accent and turned to find the blonde man who'd come to Baker Street on Monday night.

"I can take you to Dr. House's office," he said.

"Thanks," Sarah said. They walked to the elevator together.

"I think I saw you the other night. You're House's neighbor, right?" he asked as the elevator doors closed. "Robert Chase." He held out a hand to her.

"Sarah Kelly." She shook his hand.

"So, how are those mambo lessons going?"

"Oh, we've moved on. We're doing the cha-cha now." The elevator stopped and Dr. Chase led her down the hallway. He kept shooting looks her way.

"This is House's office," he said finally, opening a glass door to a small room. There was a comfortable-looking chair and footstool, an L-shaped desk, a light-board on the wall and a small television in the corner. The desk's surface was cluttered and Sarah wondered if Greg actually used it for anything. She could see through the room's glass walls into what appeared to be a meeting room. It contained a large table and chairs, book-shelves full of medical texts, and a large white-board full of writing. "House is with a patient at the moment but he shouldn't be long. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"No, thank you." Sarah moved to the chair and found that it was just as comfortable as it looked. Dr. Chase stood by the connecting door into the conference room, reluctant to leave. "I don't want to keep you..." Sarah said.

"I'll let House know you're here." He went on into the conference room. A few minutes later, Sarah saw several other people enter it. A bald black man led them, followed by a short, balding man with a large nose. A young woman with long brown hair completed the trio. The short man and the woman were wearing white coats, like Dr. Chase. The black man wore a suit. Is he a doctor too, Sarah wondered.

"House was right. He was lying," the woman said, sounding disappointed. A second later Greg entered the room and Sarah noted that he also didn't wear a lab coat.

"After all this time, why are you still surprised? Everybody lies," he said, moving toward the white-board. The others took seats around the table.

"Your neighbor is here," Dr. Chase said and Greg came to a stop. "She's in your office." Greg turned and made his way toward the door. Sarah stood up as he came in. She could feel everyone in the conference room watching them. How can Greg stand this office, she wondered. It's like working in a fish bowl.

"Hi," she said. "I was a little early, and it was cold out there, so I came in. If I'm in the way…"

"No," he said quickly. "I'm just wrapping up."

"More waiting?" she asked, smiling, and after a second he smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." He went back into the conference room and Sarah resumed her seat. She could hear him talking with the other doctors but she tuned out the words. His tone was different with them than it was with her, more sarcastic and… snarky. Dr. Chase's curiosity had been evident and she guessed that Greg didn't have many visitors at the hospital. She wondered if she'd made a mistake coming inside.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Whew! I didn't think I'd make it! I most likely will not be able to post another chapter tomorrow. I hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving! Thanks to everyone for signing up for the alerts and sending in the reviews. I'm glad to know that so many of you are enjoying the story. As always, I do not own House, etc. **

Sarah was quiet on the drive home. She was tense, but House didn't think he was the cause. He considered asking her what was wrong and remembered her words from the previous day. Talking doesn't always help, she had said. She'd been good at offering him distractions; now was his chance to return the favor.

Sarah parked the car and they got out to make the short walk up to their building. House moved ahead to hold the front door for Sarah.

"Do you have plans this evening?" he asked her.

"Not really," she said, stepping past him to enter the building. He followed her.

"_The Magnificent Seven_ is on. Ever seen it?"

"It's been years," Sarah said.

"I'll order us some dinner while you walk Maggie," House said, but Sarah didn't respond. "Pizza ok?"

"Alright," she said at last.

House ordered the pizza, then sat on his piano bench to watch for Sarah's return. She was too quiet and too tense. He felt totally out-of-his-depth, trying to figure out how best to approach her. He kept reminding himself of how she'd shown restraint, not peppering him with questions, and determined to follow her example.

He saw her returning on the sidewalk and got up to meet her in the hall. The little dog wagged her tail in excitement, practically dragging Sarah toward him the second he stepped into view.

"Maggie!" Sarah sounded slightly breathless and House looked at her in concern. Her face was flushed and she was breathing hard. "She was practically running to get back here this time. I guess she wanted to see you." House smiled. Why a dog's opinion should matter to him he couldn't say, but the fact was, he felt pleased.

"Pizza's on the way. I gave them your apartment as the delivery address."

* * *

When Sarah reached Baker Street, all she'd wanted to do was hurry into her apartment and lock the door behind her. Greg had moved ahead of her to hold the building door open. She'd felt him watching her on the drive home and knew he'd picked up on her tension.

As she'd passed through the door into the building, he'd asked her about her plans for the evening and then mentioned a movie. She hadn't seen _The Magnificent Seven_ in years. She'd been about to turn down his suggestion of ordering in dinner for them when she realized what he was trying to do. He's offering _me_ a distraction, she thought.

"Alright," she said. She went into her apartment and he went into his. Sarah greeted Maggie as she moved aside the baby gate and went to change into tennis shoes. She hated the thought of going back outside but Maggie needed her evening walk.

The dog had hurried to the park, as usual, but on the walk home Maggie had been moving almost as fast. Sarah almost had to run to get up the steps into the apartment. Greg was coming out into the hallway as they entered the building and the little dog had dashed toward him, tail wagging.

"Maggie! She was practically running to get back here this evening. I guess she wanted to see you," Sarah panted. Greg smiled.

"Pizza's on the way. I gave them your apartment as the delivery address," he told her.

"Ok," she said, and she led the way there, unlocking the door and letting them in.

Greg sat with Maggie in the living room while Sarah went to change out of her work clothes. She donned sweats and returned to the living room just as the pizza arrived. She held on to the dog while Greg accepted the delivery. He turned down her offer to pay for half.

They ate their pizza while they watched the movie. Neither of them talked much. Sarah was struck again by how young many of the actors were; she was so used to seeing them as older men in more recent roles. By the time the movie ended, she felt most of her tension had eased.

Unfortunately, it had been replaced with a headache, throbbing behind her forehead.

"Have you heard from your mechanic?" she asked Greg as they carried their plates into the kitchen.

"Not yet," he said. "I meant to call him today." He reached out to hand her a plate and her eye was caught by a band-aid on the inside his elbow.

"What happened?" she asked, nodding toward the band-aid. He glanced at it and grimaced.

"I had blood drawn. For a drug test."

"Oh." Sarah wasn't sure what to say to that. She was tired, her head hurt, and she didn't think she could do this tonight. Greg frowned at her.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"It's just a headache," she said. "I'm sorry; I'm not very good company tonight."

"You're doing fine," he said softly. "If you want me to leave…"

"You don't have to." Sarah gave him a tentative smile. He smiled back.

"It's only 9:30 – did you want to watch another movie?"

* * *

House had stayed at Sarah's apartment until after 11. They'd watched another movie though he wasn't sure how much either of them had been paying attention to it. He'd been too aware of her sitting beside him on the couch, wincing from time to time. She'd taken ibuprofen but it didn't seem to be helping the headache much.

When he opened the door to her Thursday morning, her face was pale and drawn.

"Head still hurting?" he asked.

"A little. I shouldn't have stayed up so late." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

They drove to the hospital in silence. Sarah pulled up to the entrance and stopped the car long enough for him to get out before driving off without a word. House frowned after the car, wondering what was going on? Was she annoyed at him? He'd thought he'd handled things pretty well the night before.

* * *

Sarah's head was still hurting. It had never really stopped and she'd had a restless night as a consequence, which made the headache worse. She'd wanted to stay home but there was a meeting scheduled for the afternoon that she had to attend. She knew Greg had been concerned, watching her on the drive in and she wished she'd found some way to let him know she was alright.

The first person to greet Sarah was the graduate student she'd spoken with the day before. Sarah had completely forgotten to ask Greg about helping the student reach the right person. She apologized at once.

"I'll call my friend right now," she said.

"Thanks, Sarah. I really appreciate it." Sarah pulled out her cell phone and pulled up her list of received calls, looking for the call Greg had made on Tuesday. He answered on the third ring.

"Sarah?"

"Hi, Greg. Can I… ask you for a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"I meant to ask you this yesterday but it completely slipped my mind. There's a graduate student here who's working on a paper about free health clinics in the Princeton area. She wants to talk to someone about the free clinic at your hospital. I was hoping you could tell her who she should talk to." There was silence on the other end of the phone. Sarah was about to ask if he was still there when Greg spoke.

"Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine. Who's the student?"

"Her name is Anna Martine."

"I'll let Dr. Cuddy know to expect her," Greg said. He ended the call before Sarah could thank him.

* * *

House had gotten updates from his team about their patient and sent them off to run more tests. When his cell phone rang, he'd been surprised to find that Sarah was calling him. She'd explained about a graduate student wanting to talk to someone about the free clinic. House heard his office door open and looked up to see Cuddy enter.

"Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine. Who's the student?"

"House…" Cuddy said and he held up a hand. Sarah was answering him.

"Her name is Anna Martine."

"I'll let Dr. Cuddy know to expect her." House ended the call and looked up at his boss.

"Let me know to expect who?" she asked.

"A graduate student named Anna Martine. She's writing a paper about free health clinics and wants to ask you about ours." Cuddy frowned at him, clearly waiting for the joke. House just looked back. After a moment, Cuddy sighed.

"You're needed in the clinic this morning," she said.

"I have a case," House said.

"Your team is running tests. They can find you in the clinic when they've got the results." Cuddy started toward his office door but paused before opening it. She looked back at him. "Your test results were clean."

"Good. I wouldn't want to compromise my patient care in the clinic." House got to his feet and made for the door.

"House…" Cuddy began.

"Same time next week?" he asked, moving past her to exit the office. He felt her staring after him.

* * *

Sarah returned to the office from her meeting to find the secretary and one of the students laughing at something on the computer.

"More political jokes?" she asked.

"No. It's Dr. Deacon's semi-annual report. He's got some great pictures in here!" Dr. Deacon was the assistant chair and he wrote up a report of what had gone on in the department near the end of each semester, which was then posted on the department's website. This year, Sarah remembered, he had been taking pictures to include in the report. She stepped around to look over the secretary's shoulder to see what he'd captured.

The first picture was from a home football game and showed one of their undergraduate majors, dressed in a banana costume. There were more pictures of students, in classrooms as well as in the halls and at activities across campus. She smiled at some of the familiar faces. She looked away as someone passed by the office in the hallway.

"Oh, Sarah, that's a great picture of you!" exclaimed the student and Sarah's head snapped back to the screen.

Dr. Deacon had taken a picture of her, working with two student employees, to decorate the office for Homecoming week. She was laughing at something someone said, a half-filled balloon in her hand. She felt her blood run cold.

"I want that picture taken off of there," she said.

"What? It's a great picture." The secretary was puzzled, as was the student. They both stared at Sarah.

"Just remove it. Now." Sarah stalked away, heading for her own desk. Her headache was coming back.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: I'm back! Almost didn't make it today - love my mother but I can't write when she's in the same room as me 'cause she won't be quiet. :) Anyway, here we go again. Still don't own House - wouldn't it be fun if I did?**

It wasn't quite 5 o'clock when Sarah entered the hospital lobby. Her headache had increased throughout the rest of the afternoon until she'd asked to leave early. She didn't know if Greg would be able to do the same but she knew the chair in his office was a comfortable place to wait. She hoped he'd be willing to drive the rest of the way home. She just wanted to close her eyes.

As she crossed the lobby toward the elevators she heard someone call out her name. She turned to see Anna Martine standing with the attractive brunette woman she'd seen in the parking lot Tuesday morning. She forced a polite smile onto her face and walked over to the two women.

"Dr. Cuddy, this is Sarah Kelly, the office manager in the history department. Sarah, this is Dr. Lisa Cuddy, dean of medicine."

"Nice to meet you," Sarah said, holding out her hand. So, she thought, this is Greg's boss.

"Have we met before?" Dr. Cuddy asked, shaking Sarah's hand briefly. "You look familiar."

"You probably saw me dropping Greg off here the other morning," Sarah replied. She looked to Anna. "Did you get the information you need for your paper?"

"Yes. Dr. Cuddy was very helpful. I really appreciate your friend's help in setting up this appointment. Thank you so much for asking him for me."

"I'm glad it worked out for you, Anna," Sarah said, her eyes sliding toward Dr. Cuddy. The woman looked perplexed.

"I've got to run. I have class in half-an-hour. Thanks again for your help, Dr. Cuddy. I'll be sure to send you a copy of the final paper." Anna shook the dean's hand before hurrying away. Dr. Cuddy turned her blue-gray eyes toward Sarah.

"So, how do you know Dr. House?" she asked.

"Haven't you heard? I'm his dance instructor." Sarah smiled before resuming her course to the elevators.

* * *

House stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down into the lobby. He saw Sarah come in, heard the young woman with Cuddy call out to her. He watched as the three of them talked for a few minutes before the youngest woman left. Cuddy said something to Sarah and Sarah replied, smiling, before moving away to the elevators. House started making his own way to the elevators. He wondered what Sarah had said to Cuddy to make the older woman look so puzzled.

When the elevator stopped on the second floor, Sarah was slumped against one wall, eyes shut. Her face was even more drawn than it had been that morning. She opened her eyes as he got on and smiled in surprise.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi. You're early. Feeling ok?"

"Just this headache. Would you be ok driving from here? I just want to close my eyes."

"Ok." The elevator stopped at their floor and they walked to House's office together. He was aware of a few people staring as they passed but Sarah gave no indication that she noticed.

In the office she sank into his chair. He sat on the footstool and reached out to lift her wrist, checking her pulse. It was strong and steady, if a little fast.

"Is it a migraine?" House asked.

"No, just tension. If I just lay down for a while, it'll get better," Sarah said quietly.

"Well, let me round up my minions and get them their instructions. Then we can get you home."

"Thanks."

* * *

"Is he holding her hand?" asked Taub. House's fellows were sitting around the conference table. Chase, Taub and Thirteen were watching him in his office with Sarah.

"Who holds hands with a hooker?" asked Foreman, not looking up from the chart in front of him.

"He's not holding her hand," Thirteen said. "He's checking her pulse."

"And she's not a hooker," Chase added.

"Right."

"Here he comes," murmured Taub, turning his eyes back to the file in his hands. Chase and Thirteen quickly followed suit.

"Alright, Minions," House said as he entered the room. Thirteen almost smiled. His tone was completely different than what she was used to from House. Instead of snark and sarcasm, he almost sounded… affectionate. He paused, looking at them and the next time he spoke, the sarcastic tone had returned.

* * *

House finished giving his team their instructions. They all got to their feet, moving toward the conference room door. Thirteen was the last to stand. The others had all reached the hallway but she hesitated at the door, looking at House. He had started back to his office but, feeling her eyes on him, turned to look at her.

"Is she ok?" Thirteen asked.

"She has a headache," House said, and once again his tone was snark-free.

"Migraine?"

"I'm going to take her home," House said and continued on his way to his office. When he looked back, Thirteen had gone.

* * *

Sarah thought her head was going to explode. She wished it would, just to get it over with. She'd had tension headaches before but this was the worst she'd ever experienced. She just wanted to get home and crawl into her bed. Greg had gone to give his fellows instructions; she hoped it would be a brief conversation.

She heard his thump-step coming closer and then he spoke, his voice quiet.

"All done." She opened her eyes to see him pulling on his coat. He collected his backpack, slinging it over one shoulder. She scooted forward in the chair and he stepped over to stand beside her as she got to her feet.

"I'm ok," she said. The throbbing in her head had intensified when she stood but she didn't feel dizzy. "Let's go." He moved ahead of her to hold the office door and they made their way down the hall to the elevator.

Sarah could feel people watching them, just as they had when she'd walked with Greg to the office. No doubt there would be a lot of gossip about Dr. House's new friend once they left. She hoped she hadn't made a mistake with her flip answer to Dr. Cuddy; she hadn't felt that it was any of the woman's business how she and Greg knew each other. She wasn't entirely sure what to call her relationship with Greg anyway. They were more than just neighbors. She hoped they were becoming friends.

As they stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, Sarah caught sight of Dr. Cuddy, standing on the second floor balcony. A man was with her, wearing the white coat of a doctor over a lavender shirt and tie. Sarah could feel both of them watching as she and Greg crossed the lobby.

"You ok?" Greg asked, putting a hand under her arm.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here." Sarah took one last glance toward the balcony. The two doctors were staring intently. Wow, she thought. What's going on there?

* * *

House woke up ahead of his alarm on Friday morning. He turned it off and lay in bed for a moment. He hoped that Sarah was feeling better today. When they'd reached her apartment the previous evening, he had told her that he'd take Maggie for her evening walk. Sarah had protested, reminding him that the dog pulled a lot in her race to get to the park, but House had insisted. She'd reluctantly handed him the leash and her keys.

When they'd reached the sidewalk, House had braced himself for the dog to take off. Maggie had looked back at him for a second and then set off at a sedate pace. When they returned to the apartment, Sarah was stretched out on the couch, a washcloth across her face. He'd offered to get, or make, dinner but she had just groaned.

House had gone to the kitchen and found the dog's food. He gave Maggie her dinner before looking in Sarah's cabinets. He'd coaxed Sarah into eating some soup and crackers. She'd been ready to go to bed shortly afterwards, so he'd the taken the dog out one more time and left. There'd been nothing that he wanted to watch on television so he'd gone to bed early himself.

When it got to be five after seven and Sarah still hadn't come to his door, House decided to go check on her. They'd been leaving the apartment building right around 7 o'clock each morning to allow plenty of time for Sarah to drop House off and get on to campus by 8.

He knocked on her door and heard Maggie start to bark. It was a few minutes before the door opened and a bleary-eyed Sarah stood there, still clad in her pajamas. Her face was pale and puffy from sleep and she leaned heavily against the door.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I slept through my alarm."

"Are you alright?" House asked, not liking her appearance. He reached out tentatively to touch her forehead and found it warm. "You're running a fever."

"I know. I've gotta call my boss, let him know I won't be in today. I'll get you my keys; you can take my car today." She turned to go into the apartment and House followed her, catching her arm in time to keep her from falling over the baby-gate. He moved it out of the way and walked beside her as she made her way to the couch. Maggie squeaked at him.

"I'll take Maggie out for her walk while you make your call," House said.

"Thank you," Sarah replied. House collected the dog's leash and harness from the hook by the door and led Maggie out. She was anxious to go and he had to scramble this time to keep up with her.

When they returned to the apartment, Sarah was slumped on the couch. House got the dog her breakfast and then moved to sit beside Sarah. She was shivering.

"Will you be alright? Is there someone I could call to stay with you?" he asked.

"No, there's no one here. I'm just gonna go back to bed," she said.

"I can come check on you at lunch-time," House offered. "You can call me if you need anything."

"I've been sick on my own before," she said, getting slowly to her feet. "It's just the flu. It's been going around on campus." House walked with her to the bedroom.

"You can still call me," he said, watching her get back under her covers.

"Ok." She drew the blankets up around her and closed her eyes.

At lunch-time House returned to Baker Street. Sarah hadn't called him but he wanted to make sure she was ok. He walked Maggie and tried to coax Sarah to eat something. She was still feverish but didn't feel as weak as she had in the morning. House brought a nasal swab from the hospital. He would run it through the lab and confirm that this was just the flu.

House met Taub and Thirteen in the hospital lobby; they were returning from breaking in to their patient's home. He sent them on to the conference room, dropping the swab by the lab before rejoining them there.

The differential discussion was heated. Foreman was convinced that he had their diagnosis and House was equally convinced that Foreman was wrong. Chase, Taub, and Thirteen watched the argument rage. They all knew that there was no point in siding with Foreman; no matter how the symptoms appeared to be in alignment with Foreman's diagnosis, they knew that House was almost always right.

House sent the team out to start the treatment for his diagnosis and picked up his cell phone. He wanted to call and check on Sarah. He dialed her apartment first and the phone rang several times before her answering machine picked up. He hung up and tried her cell phone, fighting down a rising feeling of alarm. Was she unconscious? She'd mentioned taking a bath; did she slip and fall? He moved to grab his coat even as her cell phone continued to ring. By the time it went to voice mail, he had his backpack in hand. He hung up the cell phone and hurried out of his office. Chase was in the hallway, coming back toward the office. He stopped when he saw House charging toward him.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Home," House said. He brushed past the blonde man on his way to the elevator, leaving Chase staring after him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Holidays are great, but it's good to be home! Here's another installment; thanks again to everyone who's reviewed and signed up for alerts - it's really encouraging! Hope you'll all continue to enjoy. And yeah, I still don't own the sexy man with the cane. **

When House reached Baker Street, he was relieved to find open parking spaces right in front of the building. He moved as fast as his leg would allow him up the steps and down the hall to Sarah's door. He knocked quickly before unlocking the door with her key. Maggie had started barking when he knocked but when she saw him her tone changed. She ran to the gate, jumping on it and wagging her tail in excitement.

"Sarah?" House called, moving the gate. "Sarah!"

"What are you doing here?" Sarah appeared in the entrance to the hallway, a towel wrapped around her head. "Is something wrong?" She was still pale and she had one hand out against the wall. House rushed toward her, relieved to see that she was alright.

"I called," he said, the words tumbling over each other as he spoke. "You didn't answer your landline or your cell phone. I was… worried." He reached out to touch her face, gauging her temperature and reassuring himself that she was there. She felt warm.

"I took a bath," she said. "I didn't hear the phone. I'm sorry I scared you."

"You still feel feverish," he told her.

"It was a warm bath," Sarah said. She sagged against the wall and House reached out to put his left arm around her.

"Let's get you sitting down," he said. They moved slowly toward the couch. House's leg was screaming from the extra weight it was forced to bear as he helped to support Sarah. They made it to the couch and sat down beside each other. Sarah was breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's like I just… ran out of steam. Your leg…"

"It's ok," House said quickly. The leg was throbbing but he was more concerned with Sarah. He reached out to pick up her wrist and was glad to find that her pulse was steady if a little fast.

* * *

Thirteen entered the conference room about twenty minutes after House had dispatched the team to start treatment. Foreman was still complaining that his diagnosis was the correct one and she was tired of listening to him. She left Taub monitoring the patient and went back to the conference room.

Chase hadn't even made it to the patient's room before he'd gotten annoyed with Foreman. She found him sitting in the conference room, reading a journal. He looked up when she came in.

"Had enough of Foreman?" he asked.

"Where's House?" she asked, ignoring the question. House's office was dark. "Did he get called to the clinic?" It seemed like House was getting called to the clinic a lot these days.

"No. He went home."

"What?"

"Yeah. I came back here and he nearly ran me down on his way to the elevator. All he said when I asked where he was going was home. This showed up about 5 minutes ago." Chase held up an envelope. Thirteen recognized it immediately. It was test results from the lab; House had gotten a similar one when he'd tested her for Huntington's. She took it from Chase's hand and ripped it open.

* * *

House had been in Sarah's apartment for about forty minutes when there was a knock on the door. Sarah had just closed her eyes and he hurried to get to the door before the knocking woke her. He didn't put the gate back up; Maggie was up on the couch with Sarah, lying across the woman's legs. She lifted her head at the knock but didn't offer to get up.

House was surprised to find Thirteen outside the door. She held up an envelope.

"This came for you. Seems you are a woman, and you have the flu." House took the envelope from her. Thirteen craned her neck, looking around him to see into the apartment. "Cute dog!" She moved past him and Maggie leapt down from the couch to come and meet her. House closed the apartment door and turned. Thirteen handed him a bag and knelt to greet Maggie.

"What's this?" House asked, peering into the bag. Inside he found a thermometer, a blood-pressure cuff, and stethoscope. There was also iv tubing and a bag of saline solution.

"A few things I thought you might need," Thirteen said, rising. "How's she doing?" She moved toward the couch to get a closer look at Sarah. House followed, setting the bag of supplies on the sofa-table.

"She's feverish and dehydrated," he said, pulling out the iv equipment. "We're going to need a pole."

"Got one in my car," Thirteen said. "I thought I'd see if you needed it before I carried it in."

"I haven't started an iv in years," House admitted. Thirteen nodded and took the bag from him, pulling out what she needed.

"Of course not. That's what you have minions for." She smiled, taking the sting out of the words.

"That's what we have nurses for," replied House, but he smiled too.

"I'll go get the pole," Thirteen said.

House spent Friday night on Sarah's couch. He'd woken up Sarah and introduced Dr. Hadley. She had gotten the iv started and helped him move Sarah back to her bed. Once Sarah was settled, Thirteen left to go back to the hospital and make sure that the treatment of their official patient continued. House remained in Sarah's apartment, monitoring her.

By morning, Sarah was feeling much better. Her color had improved, her fever was down, and she no longer felt weak. House wanted to keep the iv going for another day to be safe and Sarah reluctantly agreed.

When House's cell phone rang at 10 that morning, he found that Thirteen was calling him from the hospital. She updated him on their patient, reporting that the treatment was working.

"How's Sarah?" she asked.

"Better," House said. "Fever's down."

"Do you need anything?" When House didn't answer immediately, Thirteen rephrased the question. "Does she need anything?"

"I don't think so," House said. He didn't know how to act around Thirteen right now. He couldn't understand why she'd turned up the night before. Did she really just want to help, or was she satisfying her own curiosity too?

"Ok. I'll see you on Monday."

"Thirteen," House said quickly before she could hang up. "Thank you." He hung up before she could respond. Whatever her motives had been, he appreciated the help.

"Was that the doctor who was here last night?" Sarah asked. She was lounging on the couch while House was sitting in one of the wing-back chairs, his legs up on an ottoman. His thigh was hurting this morning, the result of supporting Sarah the previous afternoon and then sleeping on her couch. He wanted to go soak in a warm bath but was reluctant to leave Sarah alone.

"Yes."

"It was nice of her to come by, and bring all this stuff." Sarah made a sweeping gesture, taking in her iv as well as the thermometer, blood pressure cuff, and stethoscope sitting on her sofa table.

"She's a good doctor," House said.

"Why do you call her Thirteen? I thought her name was Remy?"

"It is. Thirteen is a nickname." House didn't want to tell Sarah about the game he'd used to choose a fellowship team. He couldn't imagine her approving of his methods.

* * *

Sarah spent most of Friday lying in her bed, alternately shivering and then over-heating. The slightest efforts, like getting up to get an additional blanket, were enough to exhaust her. When Greg had burst into her apartment, calling her name, she'd been stunned. She'd struggled out of bed and up the hall to meet him. He'd sounded panicked and his relief upon seeing her had been obvious.

His fellow, Dr. Hadley, had turned up, bearing the test results from the nasal swab Greg had taken earlier in the day. Sarah got the impression that Greg had rushed out of the hospital when he hadn't been able to reach her and Dr. Hadley had been concerned by his abrupt departure. The woman had brought an assortment of medical supplies with her.

The two doctors had concluded that Sarah's weakness was caused by dehydration. Dr. Hadley had started an iv and then helped Sarah get settled in her bed. The iv had apparently done the trick, because Sarah felt much better when she woke up Saturday. Greg had wanted to leave the iv in place and Sarah hadn't argued. He'd spent the night on her couch and she knew that his leg was bothering him. She didn't want him to feel like he had to do that again.

She listened while Greg took a phone call. She guessed from his side of the conversation that he was talking to Dr. Hadley, though he referred to her as "Thirteen." He ended the conversation with an awkward thank you.

"Why do you call her Thirteen?" Sarah asked. "I thought her name was Remy?"

"It is. Thirteen is a nickname." Greg looked away and Sarah wondered what the story was behind the nickname. After a moment, he looked back to her. "Are you hungry?"

"A little. I think my appetite is coming back," Sarah said. She hadn't wanted to eat anything on Friday.

"I was thinking that I could make us dinner," Greg said. "I took some cooking classes a while back but most of what I make takes too much time for a weeknight dinner."

"What did you have in mind?" Sarah asked. She was ready for something other than crackers and soup.

"I make a pretty good ragú," House said. "I'd have to run out and pick up a few things."

"I'll be fine," Sarah said. "I will stay right here on this couch until you return."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I wasn't sure I'd get through this chapter. My Colts tried to give me a heart attack this afternoon but they pulled it off and so did I! Many thanks for the reviews and alert sign-ups. I will confess - I am a review junkie! Also, thanks to my husband for serving as my beta on the last few chapters and for not getting too jealous of all the time I'm spending with House. :) As always, I do not own the man with the cane - just the lady and her dog!**

Sarah spent most of the afternoon on her couch, alternating between napping and watching old movies. Greg had returned from his shopping trip with several bags. He'd checked her temperature and blood-pressure before going into her kitchen to start cooking. It didn't take long before delicious smells were wafting out, making her mouth water and her stomach rumble.

Greg checked on her throughout the afternoon, sitting with her part of the time. He'd found an apron and put it on. It was a plain white apron but it still amused Sarah to see him wearing it.

"Keep laughing and I'm not giving you any ragú," he told her when she started giggling for the third time.

When dinner time came around, Sarah was glad that Greg hadn't followed through with his no ragú threat. The sauce was delicious. He'd made garlic bread to go along with the pasta and sauce. Sarah was ravenous and Greg had watched her eat with obvious pleasure and amusement.

"Looks like you are feeling better," he said.

"I am," Sarah agreed, sitting back from the table. "I think I just made up for all the calories I didn't consume yesterday."

"Good." Greg got up, wincing, and Sarah knew his leg was hurting. He'd been on his feet for a good part of the afternoon, preparing the meal she'd just demolished.

"Thank you," she said. She got up to help clear the table, finding the iv frustrating. She could only use one hand to carry things as she had to have the other free to move the iv pole.

"You've fed me several times," Greg said, taking the plate she carried from her.

"No, not for the food. I mean, not just for the food." Sarah flushed. This wasn't coming out right.

"I think we can unhook that iv tonight," Greg said. Sarah wasn't surprised that he was ignoring her thanks.

"I should be fine on my own tonight," she said and he looked at her sharply. "You need to spend the night in your bed, not on my couch. You're hurting."

* * *

House had worked all afternoon, trying to recreate the ragú with carmelized onions and star anise that had impressed Wilson so much. Sarah had found the sight of him in her apron amusing, giggling each time he entered the living room to check on her. She'd spent the afternoon on the couch, napping and watching old movies. House had sat with her whenever he could. His leg was really throbbing now and putting it up on the ottoman helped. It had all been worth it when Sarah devoured the meal he'd prepared.

She'd thanked him as they'd cleared the table. He'd felt awkward accepting her gratitude. Watching over her had seemed like a minor thing compared to the help she'd offered him over the past week. He'd changed the subject, telling her that they could unhook her iv.

"I should be fine on my own tonight," she'd said. "You need to spend the night in your bed, not on my couch. You're hurting."

"I'm fine," he said.

"I'll make sure I have the phone with me. You'll be right across the hall; I'll give you my spare key." Her tone was gentle but her eyes were firm. After a moment he nodded his agreement.

"Ok. Let's get rid of that contraption."

It wasn't until House returned to his apartment that night that he realized that his piano tuner had never turned up. So much, he thought, for paying the guy extra. He took a warm bath, trying to relax his leg, before going to bed. In spite of hurting, he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Sarah felt almost her old self when she woke up on Sunday. Her headache was gone and she didn't feel flushed. All that remained was a lingering tiredness. She hoped Greg was feeling better too; she'd known he hadn't liked her insistence that he go home last night but it had been obvious that his leg was hurting.

Sarah was grateful for Greg's presence over the past few days. Feeling so weak on Friday had frightened her and knowing that he was there to help had been very reassuring. Watching him fuss over her yesterday had made her feel special. She didn't think this was a side of himself that Greg showed to others very often and she felt privileged to have seen it.

Sarah was just pulling on some sweats to take Maggie outside when she heard a knock on her door. The door swung open as she made her way into the living room and Greg came in.

"Hi," he said. "I was just coming to get Maggie for you."

"How's your leg this morning?" she asked. She appreciated the offer of help but she didn't want Greg to hurt himself helping her.

"It's better," he said. She reached out to take the leash and harness from him and he stopped her, reaching out to touch her face.

"I think the fever's gone," she told him.

"Good," he replied. His hand lingered a second longer. When he moved it away, Sarah busied herself with getting Maggie into her harness, not wanting him to see her face flush. Her heart had sped up at his touch and her cheek still tingled where his hand had been.

* * *

House had intended to slip quietly into Sarah's apartment to get the dog for her morning walk. He changed his mind and knocked at the last minute, afraid of startling Sarah. He unlocked the door with the spare key she'd given him the night before. She came in to the living room just as he opened the door.

"Hi," he said, studying her carefully. "I was just coming to get Maggie for you." She was dressed in sweats. Her color was better and the flush was gone from her cheeks.

"How's your leg this morning?" she'd asked. The leg was feeling better than it had the previous day. The warm bath followed by his own bed had been what he'd needed.

"It's better," he admitted. He'd taken the dog's leash and harness down from the hook by the door and Sarah had reached out to take them. He reached out to touch her face and confirm that her fever was gone.

"I think the fever's gone," she said softly. Her cheek felt soft and smooth under his hand. She'd gone very still and House realized that his hand was lingering.

"Good," he said, pulling away reluctantly. Sarah knelt down to get Maggie into her harness and House stood there, feeling his heart pound. The hand that had touched Sarah's face felt different – almost hyper-sensitive. When he took the leash from Sarah, he could feel each detail of the weave of the nylon material.

On the walk back from the park, House pulled out his cell phone to call Nolan. He was supposed to meet the psychiatrist again today but he didn't want to leave Sarah. The psychiatrist answered on the third ring and House explained that he didn't want to meet today.

"My neighbor's just recovering from the flu," he said. He went on to explain about finding her dehydrated on Friday, keeping her on the iv yesterday, and the fact that her fever seemed to be gone this morning. Nolan just listened, waiting for House to finish.

"I think, under the circumstances, we can miss our meeting today," he said calmly when House stopped.

"That's it? No arguing that I need to take care of myself?"

"I think you're doing exactly what you need to be doing. I'll see you next week, House." Nolan hung up and House stared at his phone. He'd expected to have to argue with Nolan. He'd mentally prepared himself to make his argument and now that he hadn't had to, he felt deflated.

* * *

Sarah had taken a quick shower once Greg left the apartment. She'd just gone in to the kitchen to start breakfast when she heard him come in. Maggie ran in to the kitchen and jumped on Sarah's legs. She knelt to pat her and heard the thump of Greg's cane as he came to join them.

"I was going to make bacon and eggs," she told him, standing up. "Sound good?"

"Sure." He moved to the cabinet with the dog food and got Maggie her breakfast while Sarah washed her hands.

"How do you like your eggs?" she asked, getting the bacon from the fridge.

"However you like them will be fine," Greg said, taking a seat at her table. He seemed lost in thought.

"How was your walk?" Sarah put the first batch of bacon into the microwave and pulled the cartons of eggs and milk from the fridge; she'd decided on scrambled eggs.

"Fine." Greg looked at her. "I called my shrink."

"Ok." Sarah wasn't sure what to say about that. She cracked several eggs into a mixing bowl and added the milk. She started to whisk them all together when the microwave beeped. The first batch of bacon was ready. Greg moved to take the bowl and whisk from her while she got the tray out of the microwave.

"I told him that you'd been sick and I wanted to stay here." Sarah almost dropped the bacon tray. She set it on the counter and turned to face him.

"Greg…"

"He said it was fine." He looked up from the mixing bowl. "I think these are ready."

"Alright," Sarah said. She got a skillet out and left the eggs to Greg. She kept shooting glances at him while she prepared the second batch of bacon. He whistled softly while he stirred the eggs in the skillet. His shrink might not have a problem with him missing a session but Sarah didn't like to be the cause of it. She appreciated his help but she didn't want him sacrificing his health on her behalf.

* * *

House felt Sarah watching him as he cooked the eggs. It was obvious that she was concerned about him missing his appointment today. Once he'd gotten over his initial surprise at Nolan's reaction, he felt pleased. Nolan's biggest concern about him returning to his apartment had been that he would be isolated. Instead, he was in a beautiful woman's apartment, cooking breakfast with her.

When breakfast was over, they spent the rest of the morning doing laundry. The elevator was working again, much to their relief. House hadn't even called the landlord; with all that had happened that week, laundry had been the last thing on his mind.

By mid-afternoon, Sarah was tired. They settled on her couch, feet up on the ottomans, and put in a movie. Half-way through, Sarah fell asleep. She slumped on the couch, her head coming to rest on House's shoulder. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to put his arm around her shoulders.

The movie finished and House reached for the remote, turning off the television. He tried not to jostle Sarah but she stirred anyway. She lifted her head to look at him, blinking sleepily. Her face was just inches from his. He felt his heart start to race even as everything else seemed to move in slow motion. He cupped her cheek, tilting her head up, and leaned forward to kiss her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews! I'm really thrilled to see so many of you responding to this story - I hadn't expected it at all! Here we go again - one step forward and two steps back. Once again, I do not own House.**

Sarah woke slowly, feeling contented and safe. She realized that she was leaning against Greg. His arm was around her and she was surrounded by his scent, a mixture of his soap, laundry detergent and something else that was simply _him_. She looked up at him, blinking away sleep from her eyes. Her eyes met his and she froze as he leaned in to kiss her, his hand cupping her cheek.

The kiss was slow and sweet. Everything about it felt right – Greg's hand on her cheek, the brush of his short beard against her face, his lips on hers. She felt like she was melting into his arms, unable and unwilling to move. When he finally drew back she sighed.

She looked into his eyes and found them filled with a mixture of wonder and terror. Wow, she thought. Her first feeling was one of elation. Wow. Her next emotion was trepidation. What happens now? Before either of them could say a word, Maggie barked loudly, and they both turned to look at her. She was facing the apartment door, looking over her shoulder at them.

"What are you – the chaperone?" Greg demanded. The dog barked again and then Sarah heard the knocking.

"Someone's knocking on your door," she said. Greg got up, shooting a dirty look at the dog, and made his way to her door. Sarah scooped up Maggie to keep her from running after him.

Greg stepped out into the hallway and she heard him talking to someone. Then he poked his head back in to her apartment.

"It's the man I hired to tune my piano," he said. "He was supposed to come yesterday."

"I guess you'd better let him in to your place," Sarah said and Greg nodded. He pulled the door closed behind him and Sarah set the dog down. She felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. Part of her wanted to talk to Greg about what had just happened, but another part of her was relieved to put off that discussion.

Sarah had been content with the way things were going between her and Greg. They were slowly growing comfortable with one another. There was a lot she didn't know about him, and a lot he didn't know about her, and that was ok. Greg was obviously hesitant about letting people in and she could appreciate his caution.

"What do I do now?" she asked, looking down at her dog. Maggie responded by wagging her tail.

* * *

When the kiss ended, House felt a mixture of joy and trepidation. Everything had felt so right – putting his arm around her, touching her face, kissing her - but did she feel the same way? They'd been slowly getting to know each other. It hadn't been easy for him to tell her about himself but she'd been accepting, never pushing for more than he wanted to tell. This kiss had to change things, and House was never one to embrace change.

Have I just ruined everything, he asked himself. Sarah's sigh had sounded contented but he thought he saw apprehension in her face. The dog's bark had interrupted the moment, leaving him unsure how to proceed. When he found the piano tuner waiting for him, he'd half hoped that Sarah would ask him to send the man away. Instead, she'd left it up to him to decide, and he'd gone to let the tuner into his apartment. Now he was sitting on his couch, wondering what to do. Should he go back to Sarah's apartment while the man worked? She was going to want to talk about what happened between them and what it meant. House wasn't sure he was prepared to do that.

Everything between them had been undefined before, and he'd been comfortable with that. He'd thought Sarah was too. Could they go back to that now? As much as House had enjoyed their kiss, and he had certainly enjoyed it, he didn't want to lose the ease he felt around her.

"Cat got your tongue?" The piano tuner had been keeping up a string of chatter while he worked, which House had tuned out. He looked over at the man now.

"I wouldn't want to interrupt," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, it's no problem, Man. I can talk and work at the same time." The man was clueless.

"I'm more interested in whether you can do one without the other," House replied testily. It took the tuner a second to figure out what he meant; House could see the instant when he put it together. He frowned, and his tone turned belligerent.

"You always this rude?"

"Are you always this dense?"

"Whatever, Man. Whatever." The man went back to his work on the piano and House went back to ignoring him. He felt a little disappointed. Trading insults with the man would have provided him with a distraction.

* * *

Sarah was restless for the rest of the afternoon. She moved about her apartment, tidying things that didn't need it. She got the iv pole and the bag that Dr. Hadley had brought, collecting the stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and thermometer. She hung the bag over the pole and put it all near the door. Greg had said that he'd return these things to the hospital on Monday.

Sarah thought back to that night, a week from yesterday, when she'd first met Greg. She wasn't sure what had prompted her to invite him into her apartment or what had prompted him to accept. It had been out of character for both of them.

"We don't have anything in common," Sarah said out loud. "He's a brilliant doctor – solves cases that other doctors can't. I'm a glorified secretary." Maggie squeaked and Sarah shook her head at her. "You're biased. I feed you, therefore I must be wonderful." The dog wagged her tail. "Ok. We both like you, and we enjoy some of the same music and old movies. Or, at least, he tolerates my taste in old movies."

* * *

The tuner finally stepped away from the piano.

"All done," he announced. House rose from his couch and moved to his piano bench. He played a scale, testing the piano and nodded. Each note rang true.

"How much?" he asked, and the tuner named a price. House shook his head.

"You said you'd pay extra for weekend service."

"I said I'd pay extra for you to show up on Saturday. That was yesterday." They haggled back and forth and finally agreed on an amount. It was more than the regular service but less than House had originally offered. He wrote the man a check and sent him on his way.

House went back to the piano. He sat on the bench and started to play, enjoying the feeling of the keys beneath his fingers. He played some of the piano riffs he'd heard in the music at Sarah's apartment before drifting into the melody he'd been whistling that morning. It was a song of his own invention and he didn't know where the tune was going to go. It was full of possibilities.

Sarah went past on the sidewalk, returning from the park and House's hands stilled on the keyboard. He wasn't going to get any answers hiding in his apartment. He got to his feet and made his way to the apartment door.

* * *

Sarah heard the piano playing as she walked past Greg's windows. It stopped as she reached the building's steps and when she went inside, she found him waiting in the hall. Maggie rushed toward him, her tail wagging.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi." There was a long silence, and then they both spoke at once.

"Would you…"

"I heard…" They stopped and then Sarah smiled, laughing. After a second, Greg chuckled too.

"You were saying?" Sarah prompted.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Yes." Sarah stepped forward and Greg moved aside to let her in to the apartment.

Once inside, Sarah looked around. She'd been in his apartment before, but then she'd been concerned with disposing of his pills and making sure he was alright. Now she took the time to look around, noting the full bookcases, the piano in the corner, and the guitars on the wall. The door closed softly and Greg moved to stand beside her.

"What were you playing before?" she asked. "You were whistling it this morning too but I don't recognize the tune."

"It's just something I made up," he said.

"I liked it. Would you mind playing it again?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Hello, again! For some reason, this was a difficult chapter to write. I hope you'll all enjoy - let me know. As always, I don't own House.**

Once House started playing, the tension he'd felt dropped away. Sarah sat on his couch and when he shot a glance her way, she was smiling. Her shoulders had relaxed the next time he looked over and he felt himself smile. This was going to be ok.

He finished playing and looked over at her. She smiled.

"That was amazing," she said. "I can't believe you can just… make it up like that."

"Do you play?"

"I played the flute in the middle school band. I wasn't very good at it but I've always thought it would be fun to learn piano."

"Come here," he told her, sliding over on the bench. Sarah gave him a puzzled smile as she got up and came to sit beside him on the bench. He gently lifted her right wrist so that her fingers rested above the keys. "Put your hand here. Now, watch what I do – you're going to move your fingers the same way." House played a simple sequence and Sarah moved her fingers the same way, echoing the sequence at a lower octave. He repeated the process with a slightly different sequence and she echoed it again. "Now, can you do it while I'm playing – come in just after my first keystroke."

"I'll try," Sarah said. He started the sequence and she came in just behind him. He moved on to the second sequence but she fumbled on the second note. She pulled her hand back as if it had burnt and her face flushed.

"It's ok," House said, stopping his own playing. "Let's try again." They put their hands back in place and House started the sequence again. This time Sarah made it through to the end. She laughed when they finished and House smiled.

"That was fun," she told him.

* * *

Sarah had watched Greg's hands closely, trying to duplicate his movements. It was like playing a round – her notes echoing the ones he'd just played at the higher octave. She fumbled the first time through and felt herself blush.

"It's ok," Greg told her, stopping. "Let's try again." She took a deep breath and put her hand back in place. This time she made it through without an error and she laughed as they finished.

"That was fun."

"Want to try another one?" Greg asked. He played another sequence and she repeated it at the lower octave. Then they tried it together but once again Sarah's fingers fumbled on the keys.

"I don't think I can do this," she said, blushing.

"Don't give up so easily," Greg chided. "Let's try it again." They played on for another twenty minutes, Greg making each sequence a little trickier than the last. Sarah was amazed each time she managed to match him. She would have kept going, but Maggie came over to jump on her leg and squeak. Sarah looked at her watch and realized that it was after 6 o'clock.

"She's hungry," she explained. Her own stomach rumbled and she laughed. "I guess I am too. How about you?"

"I could eat," Greg said. Together they made their way to Sarah's apartment. She fed Maggie while Greg looked through her collection of take-out menus. Somehow things were comfortable between them again. Sarah wasn't sure how it had happened, but she didn't intend to question it.

* * *

House watched Sarah feed the dog. He was supposed to be picking out dinner but food was less interesting to him than the woman he was with. Things had been comfortable between them again in his apartment, at the piano, but now he couldn't stop thinking about what he was calling "the kiss."

I like this, he told himself. I like being in this apartment, with this woman. Nolan thinks she's good for me. I've alienated everyone else in my life, except my mother, and she doesn't count. I don't want to mess this up. But I want to kiss her again.

"So, does anything look good?" Sarah asked, dropping into a seat at the table with him. He belatedly turned his eyes to the take-out menus spread out before him, feeling his face grow warm and hoping like mad that he wasn't actually blushing.

"I'm not very hungry," he said, pushing the menus toward her. "Why don't you pick?" Her hand brushed his as she reached for the menus and his face grew warmer. Get a grip, he berated himself even as his heart-rate increased.

"Would you care if we went somewhere?" she asked. "When I took Maggie out earlier, it was the first time I'd been out of this apartment since Thursday evening. I'm feeling a little stir-crazy." House looked up and saw that her cheeks were pink. Was she nervous too?

"That'd be ok," he said.

"Do you like gyros? There's a little place near campus that makes great ones." House felt his heart-rate slow a little. This would be ok. He could do this.

"Alright. When do you want to go?"

"Well, I should walk Maggie again once she's finished eating."

"I'll take her," he offered. It would give him a moment to collect himself. "Let me go get my jacket."

"Ok." They got up from the table and House forced himself to walk at a normal pace through the living room and out the door.

* * *

When Greg left the apartment with the dog, Sarah went to her bedroom to change into jeans. She'd been wearing sweats but she didn't want to wear those to the restaurant. She stopped in the bathroom on her way back to the living room to run a brush through her hair. She studied her face in the mirror for a moment, debating on putting on some lip gloss. Stop it, she told herself. This is not a date. We're just getting some dinner together, the same way we have the last several evenings. Don't make it more than what it is.

She went back to the living room and paced, feeling restless. Every time her eyes landed on the couch, she thought back to "the kiss." She could feel her face flushing. Stop it, she chided herself. Don't let this get weird. She took a deep breath and moved to sit on the couch, waiting for Greg to return.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Still don't own anything related to House. Thanks again for all the reviews - keep 'em coming! It's a nice boost on these gray and cold days we've been having here of late.**

House woke up on Monday with a pleasant feeling of anticipation. In spite of a nervous start, he'd enjoyed his evening out with Sarah the night before. She was taking him to work this morning; his car would be ready this afternoon and he planned to get one of his fellows to take him over to the shop. He had invited Sarah to come over for another piano lesson and he was looking forward to it.

Sarah knocked on his door promptly at 7am. House was surprised to find that she didn't have the iv pole or the bag of supplies with her.

"I put the things you're returning into the car already," she told him in response to his puzzled look. He nodded and followed her outside. There was a layer of frost on all the vehicles. Sarah had scraped her windows already and the car was running. A blast of warm air from the heater hit House as he settled into the front seat. He thought about tomorrow, when he'd have to defrost his own car. Sarah got into the car and he looked over at her.

"I'm going to miss this," he said.

"Getting into a warm car is nice," Sarah said.

"Yeah." House smiled, thinking it's not just the temperature of the car. As Sarah drove, he thought back to the previous evening.

The gyro place had been quiet, in spite of its proximity to the campus. They'd sat in a booth in the back and House had been glad for the dim lighting. If he was going to blush, at least she wouldn't be able to see it. They placed their order and then sat in silence. Sarah slowly shredded her straw wrapper while he twisted his napkin tighter and tighter.

A noisy group of college students burst in and their conversation drifted to the booth. They were discussing a band they'd just "discovered" and after a moment House and Sarah chuckled.

"Everything 80's is back," Sarah said, shaking her head.

"Including Duran Duran." House smiled.

They'd relaxed after that and started talking. He asked her about her books. He hadn't read fiction much since childhood but he remembered reading Conan Doyle as a boy. They talked about Sherlock Holmes and that led in to a discussion of mystery novels. Sarah told him that she used to attend mystery conventions, where she'd had opportunities to meet authors in person. It was obviously a subject she was very interested in and House wondered why she no longer attended the conventions. Their food arrived, sidetracking their conversation. Sarah promptly stole one of his onion rings. He glared at her.

"Self-defense," she'd told him.

When they reached the hospital, Sarah pulled up to the front door and put the car in park. She got out to help get the supplies out of the back-seat.

"So you get your car back today," she said.

"Yeah. I'll see you this evening though."

"Ok." They both hesitated, looking at each other. Sarah's cheeks, which were already pink from the cold, grew pinker and House felt his own face get warm. She gave him an awkward wave and went back around to get into her car. House watched her drive away.

Standing on the sidewalk turned out to be a mistake. When House wheeled the iv pole into the lobby, Cuddy was waiting for him.

* * *

"You cannot simply 'borrow' hospital supplies whenever it suits you, House," Cuddy said. She had followed House up from the lobby. The fellows were in the conference room and all looked up as he entered on his way to his office, Cuddy on his heels. "What were you doing with them?" she continued. House continued into his office and Cuddy followed him. Thirteen got to her feet and started toward the office.

"What are you doing?" Chase demanded but she ignored him.

"I was helping a friend," House said.

"You don't have friends," Cuddy was retorting. House caught Thirteen's eye and gave an almost imperceptible head-shake. She stepped away from the door. Why wasn't House revealing that she was the one who'd taken the supplies?

"I want you in the clinic," Cuddy was telling House. "Now." She turned on her heel and stomped out of House's office via the door to the hallway. Thirteen went on into House's office.

"I'm due in the clinic," he told her, heading for the door.

"Thanks," Thirteen murmured to his retreating back.

* * *

Sarah was glad it was a slow day at the office. She was distracted, thinking about the previous evening with Greg and their planned piano lesson this evening. She'd had fun last night and she was looking forward to this evening. She had never seen Greg as relaxed as he'd been when they were at the piano.

Only one thing made Sarah nervous. They were still ignoring their kiss. She had to wonder how long they could continue to do that. _Don't give up so easily_ Greg had said to her. Had he been talking about more than just the piano?

* * *

By lunch-time House was in a foul mood. The clinic had been crammed with more sniffling children and their obnoxious parents. One mother that he'd seen the previous week had returned, insisting that he had falsified her child's test results. The child in question was no longer sick, but she still insisted on filing a complaint with Cuddy.

When House stalked out of the clinic on his way to lunch, he found Thirteen waiting for him, holding his coat.

"Your mechanic called," she told him. "Your car's ready." House grabbed the coat and handed her his cane.

"Let's go." He pulled on his coat and then snatched the cane back.

"I brought my car up," she told him, leading the way across the lobby. House came to a stop on the sidewalk and stared at the vehicle.

"This," he said scornfully, "is not a car."

"It's a Smart Car," Thirteen said.

"Where's the rest of it?"

"Just get in." Thirteen rolled her eyes at him but he saw her lips twitch.

* * *

Sarah was walking across the quad. She'd delivered some papers to the dean's office and was returning to the department. Her day had continued to be quiet, giving her lots of time to think about this evening. She had butterflies in her stomach each time she thought about sitting with Greg on his piano bench.

Sarah looked out over the quad, admiring the light dusting of snow that coated the lawns. With each change of the seasons, the campus continued to surprise her with its beauty. Her eyes fell on a group of students, walking and laughing together and she smiled. Her gaze moved on to the next person coming down the sidewalk and her steps faltered. Her heart pounded and she came to a stop. The man looked up and a broad smile spread across his face. Sarah took one more look at him before turning on her heel and running away.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Hello, again! I still don't own House, which is truly a bummer. Thanks for the reviews - we've topped 100 now. Please keep 'em coming - they really help me keep focused on getting these chapters completed and up each day. Things are getting more complicated for our heroes and it's going to get worse before it gets better. It'd be a boring story otherwise, don't you think?**

Sarah had run without any further thought than to get away. She very nearly retraced her steps to the dean's office before she slowed down. Only then did she dare to look behind her. All she saw were students, some strolling and talking while others walked hurriedly. She stood where she was, panting.

"Sarah?" She nearly jumped a foot and turned to see Anna Martine coming down the path. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Sarah said. "I… I was just delivering some papers to the dean's office." She waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the building and Anna nodded.

"I'm heading to class," she said. "Mind if I walk with you?"

"Sure," Sarah said. She stuffed her hands into her coat pockets to hide the way they were shaking and fell into step with the young woman.

"My paper is coming along great. Thanks again for your help."

"No problem," Sarah said. Her breathing was coming back under control but she still couldn't manage whole sentences. She could feel sweat cooling on her skin and she shivered. Her eyes scanned the path ahead, looking for him. She felt sick to her stomach. Beside her, Anna chattered about her classes. They made it to the history department's building and parted as Sarah went on to the office and Anna went to her class.

At her desk, Sarah clenched her hands in her lap. She couldn't get them to stop shaking. She was shivering now and wished that she could leave her coat on. All she wanted to do was run, get in her car, get Maggie, and drive.

* * *

When House returned to the hospital with his car, he found Cuddy waiting for him in the lobby. She looked pointedly at her watch.

"You've been gone over an hour," she said. "The clinic is packed. I need you to get back in there."

"I'll just go hang up my coat, catch-up on my soap…" House told her, moving on toward the elevator.

"House…" Cuddy narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'll be right back," he said. He didn't want to go back into the clinic but he also didn't want to argue with Cuddy. He didn't have a case and he could see that it was standing room only in the clinic waiting room. He was surprised when Cuddy didn't follow him or insist that he go straight to the clinic. He briefly considered finding some place to hide instead of returning. It was only the realization that if he did do that, he'd have to spend the rest of the day on the move, trying to keep a step ahead of Cuddy. She'd probably waylay him in the lobby when he tried to leave at the end of the day and he didn't want to be late meeting Sarah. He hung up his coat and went back to the clinic. He almost smiled at the stunned expression on Cuddy's face when he walked up to the counter and collected a chart.

Four hours later, House's leg was aching and he was wondering if playing cat and mouse with Cuddy might have been the wiser, or at least less painful, course. He slapped his last chart onto the counter and caught a familiar whiff of perfume as Cuddy stepped up beside him. House scribbled a note into the chart and dropped it into the tray.

"House…" Cuddy started.

"Waiting room's empty, charts are complete, and I am out of here," House said, cutting her off. It was almost 6 o'clock and he wanted to get home. He went quickly up to his office to collect his things before heading out of the hospital. As he walked through the lobby, he glanced up to see Cuddy and Wilson standing together on the second floor balcony.

* * *

Sarah turned on to Baker Street for the second time. She'd driven around her block, making sure that she didn't see any signs of anyone following her. Getting out of her car was still nerve-wracking as she tried to watch in every direction at once.

She breathed a sigh of relief once she got into her apartment. Maggie greeted her, and Sarah knew she was going to have to go back outside to walk her. The thought made her break out into another sweat. She just wanted to hide in her locked apartment.

Sarah forced herself to take the dog outside, but instead of turning toward the park, she went in the opposite direction. Maggie was confused but Sarah didn't want to follow her usual routine. By the time they got back to the apartment, she was trembling again. She sagged against the locked door.

A knock sounded on her door and she nearly screamed, jumping away from it like it was on fire. Shaking now, she moved to look out the peephole. Greg was waiting outside her door. Sarah didn't know what to do. There was no way she could hide her physical reaction from him but the last thing she wanted to discuss with him was what had happened. She drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to slow her heart rate and ease the trembling. Greg knocked again, causing Maggie to bark. Sarah opened the door slowly.

"Hey…" Greg's greeting died. "What's wrong?" he asked, stepping into the apartment. He reached out toward her face and Sarah moved back quickly.

"I'm fine," she said, turning to move back into the apartment. Greg followed her.

"You're not," he said. "I can see that you're not. What is it? Are you feeling sick again?"

"I'm not sick," Sarah said. She went on into the kitchen, trying to avoid facing Greg. He followed her. She started getting Maggie's dinner together but her hands were shaking and she spilled the scoop of kibble all over the counter. Greg moved up to take hold of her hand. She pulled away and turned, but he was blocking her path. She was trapped between him and the counter.

"Tell me what's wrong," he said.

"I do not want to talk about this," she said. Her voice shook.

* * *

When House got home, he dropped off his coat and back-pack in his apartment and went across the hall to knock on Sarah's door. He had just knocked for the second time when she opened the door.

"Hey…" he started to say. One look at her face stopped him. "What's wrong?" Her face was pale, she was sweating and trembling.

"I'm fine," she said, turning away from him to move across the living room. He followed her.

"You're not. I can see that you're not. What is it? Are you feeling sick again?"

"I'm not sick," Sarah said. She continued in to her kitchen, moving to get the dog's dinner. Her hands were shaking and kibble scattered across the counter. House reached out to take hold of her hand. She pulled away from him but he side-stepped so that she couldn't walk away.

"Tell me what's wrong." He was alarmed. If she wasn't sick, then what was wrong?

"I do not want to talk about this," she said and he thought she was on the verge of tears. He hated seeing her this way. A small voice in his head was telling him that he should back off but he couldn't do that.

"Tell me," he said again.

"Please move," she said, her voice shaking. He hesitated and she almost shouted. "Move!" He stepped aside and she walked back out into the living room, pacing in agitation. House followed her, standing by the kitchen doorway.

"Sometimes talking does help," he said and she stopped, whirling to glare at him.

"I said I do not want to talk about this. Why can't you just respect that?"

"I want to help," he said.

"You can't help. Please leave."

"Sarah…"

"You don't know anything about me. You think you can step in and fix my life? You don't know anything about it. You've never even tried to find out before now."

"Sarah…" he began but she turned away. He went to her, reaching out to turn her to face him. He tried to put an arm around her but she pushed him away. His leg was tired from clinic duty and this added pressure was more than it could take. He felt it give way and he staggered into her sofa table.

"Just get out of here, Greg," she said angrily. "I don't need another crazy person in my life." Her words were like another blow. He was stunned and hurt at first, and then he was angry. He'd put up with hours of clinic duty today, tolerating annoying parents with sick children, Nurse Brenda and her snide remarks, and pain in his leg. It had all been so that he could leave the hospital on time to see Sarah. He was offering to help her and she responded by using what he'd told her about himself to attack him.

"Fine," he snapped. "I don't need a paranoid lunatic in mine." He got the leg back under him and stalked out of her apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Here we go! I still don't own House - just borrowing him. Please keep those reviews coming - they're better than Vicodin! :)**

Thirteen got to the hospital early the next morning. She was determined to find a case for House. Cuddy had kept him in the clinic all day. He hadn't complained but she'd seen him rubbing his leg several times. He didn't need to spend another day on his feet but she wasn't sure that Cuddy would listen if she went to her.

She dropped off her coat in her locker and headed up to the diagnostics office to start a pot of coffee. She wanted a cup before she headed down to the ER to snoop through their cases to see if there was anything that might interest House.

Thirteen entered the conference room and headed for the coffee pot. She got the coffee started and walked over to the desk in the corner to check her email while the coffee brewed. She came to a dead stop as she looked through the glass wall into House's office. The diagnostician was in his chair, his coat pulled around him like a blanket, fast asleep.

What is he doing here, Thirteen wondered. Did something happen? Thirteen hesitated, wondering if she should wake him. She didn't think he'd want to still be here asleep when the rest of the team arrived so she went on into his office and moved over to the chair.

"House," she said softly, not wanting to startle him. He stirred in the chair but didn't wake. She moved closer, reaching out tentatively to touch his shoulder. "House." He jumped when her hand touched his shoulder. His eyes flew open and he jerked in the chair, gasping. His hands reached for his thigh and Thirteen stepped back.

"Shit," he gasped, rubbing at the leg.

"I'm sorry," Thirteen said quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Yeah, great job with that," House muttered.

"What can I do to help?" she asked, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Just give me a minute," House said. He moved his left hand from his leg to fish a bottle out of his pocket. He stopped massaging his leg long enough to shake three pills into his hand, which he swallowed dry. Thirteen took the bottle away from him before he could stuff it back into his pocket.

"You can't take that much ibuprofen on an empty stomach," she protested, reading the label. "You'll give yourself an ulcer." She got up and went into the conference room, getting a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. She returned to his office, opened the bottle, and pressed the bottle into his left hand. "At least drink that." He looked at her for a second and then took a long drink from the bottle. He held the bottle back out to her and she took it, setting it on the edge of his desk. She gave him space enough to stand but stayed close, ready to catch him if he needed it.

"Hand me my bag," he said as he got to his feet. Thirteen waited until he was standing and then moved to get his back-pack. He took it from her, collected his cane, and started out of his office.

"You ok?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he said, never breaking stride. She watched him walk away. She definitely had to find a case today. Aside from his leg hurting him, he was also in a foul mood. She didn't know what had happened that prompted him to spend the night in his office and she knew he wasn't going to offer information. The best she could do now was offer him a distraction.

* * *

The tears had started down Sarah's face the minute Greg slammed the door shut. She went to it and locked it, her hands shaking. Maggie squeaked at her and Sarah made her way blindly into the kitchen to finish getting the dog her dinner. More kibble spilled across the counter but she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. She put the plate down, scattering food across the floor. Maggie stepped forward and started eating it anyway. Sarah walked out of the kitchen slowly, making her way into the bathroom. She hardly recognized the red-eyed, puffy-faced person she saw in the mirror.

"How could I have said that to him?" she murmured, remembering her words to Greg. _I don't need another crazy person in my life._ The words echoed in her head. She sagged against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest. She began to sob, covering her face with her hands. A moment later she felt a cold nose on her arm as Maggie tried to shove herself between Sarah's chest and knees. A warm tongue lapped at her wet hands, trying to lick the tears away. Sarah dropped her knees and pulled the dog into a hug. "He's better off without me, Maggie. He'd wind up getting hurt. I don't want that." She started sobbing again.

Sarah didn't know how long she'd spent on her bathroom floor. She knew that her legs were stiff and her butt hurt when she finally dragged herself up. She stumbled toward her bedroom and Maggie followed her, squeaking. With a groan, Sarah turned around.

"I'll take you out," she said, making her way toward the living room. "But you've got to hurry."

* * *

After Thirteen woke him, House went to the doctor's locker-room to shower. He had a change of clothes in his backpack, kept there in case a patient vomited or spewed other bodily fluids on him. When he'd stormed out of Sarah's apartment the night before, he hadn't wanted to stay in his. There were too many memories there. He'd grabbed up his coat and backpack and headed for his car.

He hadn't known where he was going when he drove off but he came to a stop in the parking lot of a bar. He's just sat in the car, staring at the place for several minutes. Finally, he started the car and drove off, winding up at the hospital. His leg had been really hurting by then so he'd stretched out in his chair, putting his legs up onto the footstool.

He'd fallen asleep eventually, but his sleep had been restless. He kept remembering Sarah's appearance – her pale, sweaty face and the way she'd trembled. Trapping her against the counter had obviously been a mistake; she'd nearly panicked.

House sat in the shower stall, letting the hot water run over him, relaxing away the cramping in his leg. He was torn between wanting to go make sure that Sarah was ok and wanting to avoid her entirely. Her comment about not needing another crazy person in her life still stung. Another crazy person, he thought. Another implied that there was already one crazy person in her life. House felt frustrated; Sarah had been right. He didn't know anything about her life, save her love of mystery fiction. Where was she from? What had brought her to Princeton?

* * *

"Ok, Maggie. I'm going to go and get some things we'll need and then I'll come back for you." Sarah was speaking rapidly, her voice and hands shaking. "We're getting out of here. I'm going to keep you safe." She scooped the dog up and hugged her quickly before putting her down again. She got into her coat and collected her purse. "I'll be back soon." She stepped out into the hallway, feeling very exposed. Her steps slowed as she neared the door out to the street. She didn't want to go out there. Taking the dog out this morning had been horrifying. She looked over to Greg's apartment door but it was after 8 – he'd surely be at the hospital by now. Besides, he probably never wanted to see her again, after what she'd said to him. She took a deep breath and stepped out the door and down the steps, trying to scan in every direction as she made her way to the car.

* * *

Thirteen found a potential case in the ER and snatched the file. She turned and was making her way out when she encountered Cuddy.

"What are you doing down here?" the older woman asked, her eyes dropping to the file in Thirteen's hands.

"Looking for a case," Thirteen said.

"House sent you."

"No," Thirteen protested. "I just… He needs a day out of the clinic, off of his feet. His leg…"

"His leg is bothering him?" Thirteen couldn't decide if Cuddy sounded concerned or skeptical.

"Just give him a break, for today at least?" Cuddy arched a brow in surprise.

"Fine." She turned and walked away. Thirteen breathed a sigh of relief. Now she just hoped that the case she'd found would be sufficient distraction for House.

* * *

When House returned to the conference room, he found his fellowship team sitting around the table, going through a chart. They looked up as he entered.

"Got a case," Thirteen said. House slung his back-pack into his office and headed to the table to take the file from her.

"You went to the ER to find a case?" he asked, noting the chart's origin.

"Dr. Grant asked us to take a look," Thirteen said. House was fairly certain that she was lying. He looked through the chart. If he had a case, maybe he could get out of clinic duty. He'd figure out why Thirteen was looking for work for the team later; at least she had picked an interesting case, much better than some of the ones that Cuddy had tried to push on him in the past.

* * *

Sarah had finished the last of her errands. Her gas tank was full and she'd withdrawn cash from her bank account. She didn't know where she was going to go but she didn't want to stay in Princeton, not if he was here. She wanted to get Maggie and leave.

Sarah drove around her block slowly, scanning the sidewalks and parked cars. She nearly slammed on her brakes when she saw him, standing on the sidewalk across the street from her apartment. A horn sounded behind her and she hit the accelerator, speeding away. He'd found her apartment! She drove, not knowing where she was going. Her heart was pounding and tears were streaking down her face. Maggie! How was she going to get to her? She couldn't just leave her! She pulled into a parking lot and sat, watching to see if he'd followed her. She took in great gulps of air, trying to calm herself. What was she going to do? She couldn't abandon Maggie. There had to be some way to get to her dog without encountering him.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: I still don't own House, just the lady and her dog. Here's the latest installment in their adventure. You know what to do - read and review. Thanks!**

House had felt Thirteen watching him all day. She'd been the one to bring in the test results and the updates on the patient's status. Lunch had mysteriously turned up on his desk and he suspected she'd brought it too. As interesting as the case was proving to be, House still wanted to know why she'd gone searching for it.

It was just after 6 and he was sitting in his office, rolling his red and gray ball between his hands. He had just sent the team to start a treatment based upon his latest theory. He didn't think it was going to work, but the patient's reactions would tell him more and that was what he needed.

The door between his office and the conference room opened and Thirteen entered. She sat down in one of his visitor's chairs.

"It's too soon for any reaction," he told her.

"You should go home," she said. "We can call you with updates."

"Why did you go searching for this case?"

"You think you're the only one who finds clinic duty boring?"

"You wanted to work in a clinic," House scoffed.

"They offered me the job. I came back here instead." House just stared at her and she shifted in the seat, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her palms pressed together. "Why didn't you tell Cuddy that I'm the one who borrowed the equipment?"

"She wouldn't have believed me," House said, shrugging. He heard her sigh as she sat back in the chair.

"House, go home. If you did something stupid, apologize. If she did something stupid, forgive her." Thirteen got to her feet and started for the door. "I'll call you as soon as we know something." She went through it and on out of the conference room.

* * *

Sarah checked into a small hotel near the interstate. She paced the room. She had to find a way to get to Maggie. She couldn't abandon her dog. She'd driven back past the apartment once more but he was still waiting. It was cold out – how long could he wait there? Surely he'd leave soon. Sarah told herself she'd wait a while longer, then go past again. It was early afternoon. He wouldn't wait forever, not in the cold. She just had to be patient.

She sank onto the bed. The hotel room was surprisingly clean, despite the run-down exterior. Sarah flipped on the television, flipping through channels at random. Her eyes were burning and their lids were heavy. She'd barely slept the night before. She caught herself the first two times she started to fall to sleep but the third time she dropped off.

* * *

House had waited ten minutes after Thirteen walked out before getting up. He thought over her recommendation. He wasn't sure why she was trying to help him these days, but regardless of her motivation, her advice seemed sound. He knew that trapping Sarah against the counter had been a mistake. Pushing and prying after she'd said she didn't want to talk had also been a mistake. She'd always respected his wishes when he'd said he didn't want to talk and he should've done the same for her. He knew what he wanted to apologize for, and he hoped she would accept it.

When he got to Baker Street, he went straight to Sarah's apartment and knocked. There was no answer and he knocked again. Maggie began to bark inside. Her tone was different than House had heard before – more frantic.

"Sarah?" he called. "Please open up." Maggie's barks grew more frantic and House remembered that he still had Sarah's spare key in his apartment. He hesitated to burst in on her uninvited, but the more he heard the dog the more certain he was that something was wrong. He hurried into his own apartment and collected the key from his sofa table, leaving behind his back-pack.

Maggie's tail started wagging the moment he stepped through the door. He shut it behind him and moved to the gate.

"Sarah?" he called, stepping into the living room. He moved farther into the apartment, checking each room. Sarah's bed was made. He stopped himself from looking into her closet and dresser drawers. He didn't want to invade her privacy any further.

Maggie's urgent barks brought him back to the living room. She was jumping on the door. House collected the leash and harness and took her outside. He didn't know how long Sarah'd been gone but the dog stopped at the first patch of grass that they came to.

* * *

When Sarah woke up it was early evening. She was disoriented for a moment and couldn't remember where she was. The dim light from the television showed the hotel room. She turned on the bedside lamp, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Everything came rushing back and she nearly sobbed.

Her cell phone was on the bedside table, turned off. She powered it on now and the voice mail notification came up. When she entered in her password, the electronic voice informed her that she had ten messages.

"Sarah, it's me. I need to see you. This whole thing has been a huge misunderstanding. Please…" She hit delete but the next message was the same, and the next and the next. Her hands were shaking by the time she'd finished and there were tears streaming down her face. What was she going to do? She was terrified to go back to her apartment for fear he'd still be there, watching for her, but she knew Maggie had to be hungry by now. The phone rang and Sarah stared at the number. She didn't recognize it. She answered the phone, her hands trembling.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, don't hang up!" She dropped the phone to the bed. His voice continued to call out to her and she reached out to hit the "End" button.

* * *

House returned to Sarah's apartment with Maggie. He got the dog dinner and then returned to the living room, pulling out his cell phone. He was about to dial her number when he saw her answering machine. Its light was blinking, indicating that there were five messages on the machine. He reached out toward the "Play" button and hesitated. This was an intrusion, and invasion of her privacy. But he was worried now. She hadn't come home and he knew that, however upset she might be with him, she wouldn't abandon Maggie this way. Something had to be horribly wrong. He hit the button.

"Sarah, it's me. I'm here and I need to see you, please. This has all been a terrible misunderstanding. You've got to give me a chance to talk to you." The man went on, leaving a phone number. The second message was the same man and its content was much the same as the first. The third message took on a different tone.

"Sarah, I'm being patient. I know you didn't mean to make trouble for me and I've forgiven you. Now, stop being so foolish and let's talk." He left his number again. The fourth message was apologetic and the fifth took on the same threatening tone from the third one.

"I'm not leaving, Sarah. I'm not giving up. You can't hide from me forever." House sat down on the couch. So, this was what she meant about not needing another crazy person in her life. The man on the phone was clearly disturbed, vacillating between cajoling and threatening her. No wonder she was frightened. House pulled out his cell phone again and dialed her number. The phone went straight to voice mail.

"Sarah, it's Greg. I… I want you to know that I'm here with Maggie. She's ok. She's safe. Please call me and let me know that you're alright." House ended the call and sat back on the sofa. The dog jumped up beside him, pressing herself along his leg and he stroked her absently. All he could do now was wait and hope that Sarah called.

* * *

It took Sarah some time to calm herself. She'd known he was here of course, but hearing his voice, having him talking to her, made it all more real somehow.

When her hands finally stopped shaking, she lifted the cell phone carefully from the bed, as if it were a snake that might bite her. She powered it back on. She had another voice mail alert. She whimpered, and sucked in a deep breath before entering her password.

"Sarah, it's Greg. I… I want you to know that I'm here with Maggie. She's ok. She's safe. Please call me and let me know that you're alright." Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Maggie was ok. Sarah sat the phone down again and leaned back against the headboard, closing her eyes. The phone rang again, startling her. It was him again. Sarah quickly turned the phone off. Maggie was safe. She was, at least for the moment, safe. She leaned back again.

* * *

House waited in Sarah's apartment for several hours. Neither her phone nor his cell phone rang. Finally, when it grew late, he took Maggie out one last time and then took her into his apartment. She roamed about, sniffing every corner as he got ready for bed. He put a dog bed he'd taken from Sarah's apartment on the floor beside his bed and coaxed her to it, covering her with a blanket.

"Go to sleep," he said. "We'll find her – don't worry."

He turned off the lights and lay in the darkness, wishing he could take his own advice. He couldn't stop worrying about Sarah, no matter what he'd told the dog. Where was she? Had the man on the phone found her? Who was he, and what did he want?

He heard a squeak from the floor and felt something hit the mattress. Turning on the light, he found Maggie standing on her hind legs, her front feet against the mattress. She squeaked at him, tail wagging. House looked into her eyes and sighed.

"Fine," he said, leaning down to lift her onto the bed. She burrowed under the covers, pressing herself against his side and he turned out the light.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Well, here we go again. My husband tells me that I'm just mean to leave things where I do here. You'll have to let me know if you agree with him! As always, I do not own House. Bummer.**

House didn't sleep much Tuesday night. He didn't know how a 12-pound dog did it, but Maggie had him pushed to the very edge of the bed. He had picked her up and moved her over a few times but somehow he always wound up back at the bed's edge. At 6 he gave up and got up. The dog lifted her head to look at him.

"You are a bed hog," he told her, hobbling off to the bathroom. How did Sarah manage, he wondered. He hadn't found a dog bed in her bedroom. Did she spend each night fighting for bed space, or was there some trick that he didn't know?

When House got out of the shower, he heard Maggie squeaking outside the door. He hurried into clothes so that he could take her outside. When they returned to the building, he took Maggie into Sarah's apartment. He went to the kitchen to get her food while the dog ran through the apartment, clearly searching for Sarah. House felt sad, watching her. The dog had been well-behaved but it was obvious that she was feeling lost. He called her in to the kitchen but she only ate a little of her food before running off again on another fruitless search.

House checked Sarah's answering machine and found another message.

"Sarah, its Tony. Todd is out. He's on parole and he's not supposed to leave the state but… just be careful. I guess this all happened last week. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but I just found out. Call me when you get this message." So, House thought, the mystery man's name is Todd and he's on parole. Did Sarah have something to do with him going to jail? Is that what he meant about her causing him trouble?

Maggie squeaked at him and he looked down to see her standing at his feet.

"C'mon," he told her, returning to the kitchen. "Eat your breakfast." He pulled over a chair and sat down by the plate of food. The dog looked at him for a moment and then came forward to eat.

* * *

Thirteen pulled into her parking space at the hospital shortly before 7:30. She wasn't sure why she'd gone home in the first place. She knew that House didn't really expect the treatment they'd started to work; he was still looking for more clues. She'd expected a page from Chase, who'd drawn the short straw and stayed to monitor the patient, and was surprised that she still hadn't gotten one.

Thirteen started across the parking lot and was surprised to see House's battered car pulling into his parking place. He was here early. Her steps slowed as she watched him get out of the car. He hobbled around to the passenger side, moving carefully on the black-top. There had been a frost the night before and Thirteen had been watching her own footing. House reached into the passenger seat and pulled out a pet carrier. Thirteen moved forward as quickly as she dared.

"You've got her dog?" she called and House turned in surprise. She closed the distance and reached out to grab the carrier.

"She didn't come home last night," House said. He hadn't let go of the carrier's handle.

"I'll carry this," Thirteen said. He looked at her for a second before reluctantly letting go of the carrier. He reached back into the seat and pulled out a dog bed and blanket. He tucked them under his arm and shut the car door.

"Maggie – the dog – seems lost. I didn't want to leave her alone." Thirteen nodded, deciding not to comment on that. House usually grew prickly if anyone suggested that he was doing something nice.

* * *

The lobby was empty and no one stopped them as they got into the elevator. The diagnostics office and conference room were also empty. House led the way into his office. Thirteen followed him, setting down the carrier and opening its door. Maggie came out, tail wagging and Thirteen dropped to her knees to pet the dog in greeting. House put the dog bed down by his chair and took a seat on the footstool. Maggie accepted the petting for a moment before scurrying off to explore the corners of the room. When House looked back at Thirteen, she was watching him.

"Who monitored the patient last night?" he asked.

"Chase."

"Go check on him." Thirteen stood up but didn't leave.

"You know Foreman will report that you have a dog in your office."

"Yeah."

"We haven't broken in to this patient's home yet." Thirteen smiled briefly before going back into the conference room. Chase was just coming in and she stepped between him and the door to House's office. House saw Chase look past her and spot him. He sighed. So much for keeping things quiet. Chase stepped around Thirteen and came into the office.

"Why do you have a dog in your office?" Chase demanded. Maggie ran up to him, tail wagging. Chase looked down at her and his lips twitched.

"She belongs to my neighbor," House said. Chase reached down to pick up the dog, who proceeded to lick at his face, her tail wagging faster.

"She's cute. Why is she… hey!" Chase sat the dog down, revealing a spreading yellow stain on his lab coat. "She peed on me!"

"She got excited," Thirteen said, trying not to laugh.

"Good girl," House murmured, and Thirteen burst out laughing. Chase shook his head, trying to look aggravated. House could see his lips twitching as he turned to stalk out of the office.

When Taub arrived a few minutes later, Thirteen stayed with the dog in his office. House told Taub to wait for Foreman in the lobby and go to the patient's home with him. Taub grumbled but left without getting a glimpse of the dog. Chase came back in a fresh lab coat. He sat with the dog while Thirteen went to check on the patient. House studied the list of symptoms on the white-board, trying to figure out why his patient seemed to be improving in spite of being given the wrong treatment.

* * *

Sarah had spent a restless night in the hotel. She'd been relieved to know that Maggie was safe and being looked after. It made her feel even more horrible about what she'd said to Greg. She wanted to call him to apologize and let him know that she was ok, but she was afraid to turn her cell phone back on. Each time she had done so before, she'd found more voice mail messages from Todd and he'd called her. She knew he couldn't have the technology to trace her through her cell phone but the calls still frightened her.

She had another problem. She'd barely eaten the day before and now she was so hungry that she felt sick. She was going to have to leave the safety of her hotel room to find something to eat but even the thought of going down the hall to the vending machines was terrifying.

* * *

House was still trying to sort out what was going on with his patient when Cuddy entered the conference room. Chase and Thirteen had just smuggled Maggie outside for a walk. House hoped that they would take their time.

"It's time for your drug test," Cuddy said. "And then you're needed in the clinic."

"I have a patient," House said, knowing that wouldn't make any difference. He wanted to get Cuddy out of here before Thirteen and Chase returned with Maggie but he knew that if he didn't put up some resistance, Cuddy would wonder why.

"You started treatment last night," Cuddy said. "Are you saying you don't think that it's the right treatment?"

"Patient's getting better. It must be the right treatment." House lifted his cane from the conference room table and stood up. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Sarah gave herself a pep talk, reminding herself that Todd couldn't know where she was. She needed to eat something and then she could drive past her apartment again and see if it was safe to go in. She didn't know what Greg had done with Maggie today. Did he leave her in her apartment, or put her in his?

She made it out of the hotel without incident and drove to the nearest fast food place, going through the drive up. She parked in the lot, leaving her car running while she ate. When she'd finished, she took a deep breath, steeling herself, and drove to Baker Street.

She rounded the block twice, seeing no sign of anyone lurking, and parked near the corner. She resisted the urge to run all the way to the building. She didn't want to attract attention to herself. Once in the building, she couldn't contain herself any longer though and she ran the few remaining steps to her door.

The gate wasn't up when she got inside and her heart sped up.

"Maggie?" she called but the little dog didn't come. Sarah moved quickly through the apartment. Nothing was disturbed but when she checked the front closet, Maggie's car carrier was gone. A second trip through revealed that the small dog bed she kept in the living room was also gone. Her answering machine was blinking and she reached over to hit play, bracing herself for another tirade from Todd.

"Sarah, you bitch!" Todd was screaming, his voice harsh. "I don't know who the gimp is with your dog, but he can't keep us apart. I won't let him! Do you hear me? I won't let him!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: Hello, again, Readers! Let me get this out of the way: I do not own House. Thanks again for all the reviews - they're great and I'm addicted. :)**

House followed Cuddy to the clinic. As they'd left his office, he's spotted Chase and Thirteen down the hall, returning with Maggie, and he'd quickened his pace toward the elevators. Cuddy had looked at him, arching a brow questioningly.

"Let's get this over with," he said. He glanced back as they reached the elevator, but the two doctors and the dog were no longer in the hallway.

Cuddy directed Nurse Brenda to collect the blood sample. Once again the nurse was cool and professional, making no comment about the purpose of the blood draw. House was silent as well, trying hard to keep the humiliation he felt off of his face. When was Cuddy going to trust him, he wondered. Or was this a punishment for something? He couldn't see what she had to punish him for – he hadn't even retaliated when she'd sent him on a wild goose chase for Thanksgiving.

The clinic waiting room was standing room only again so as soon as Nurse Brenda finished, House went to get a chart and started seeing patients. He hoped that Thirteen and Chase could continue to manage both monitoring the patient and looking after Maggie.

* * *

Thirteen and Chase had seen House leaving with Cuddy. They hurried into his office, fearful that the Dean of Medicine would look back and spot them with the dog. Neither of them had any doubt that House would take the blame for the dog's presence and bear all the punishment but they didn't want to see that happen.

"Where do you suppose they were going? The clinic?" Thirteen asked, dropping into House's chair. Maggie jumped up to sit in her lap and she patted the dog absent-mindedly.

"Cuddy has House taking drug tests since he moved out of Wilson's apartment," Chase said.

"Tell me you do not have a pool going on that," Thirteen said reprovingly.

"No, I don't," Chase said. He leaned against the edge of the desk. "What is he doing with this dog?"

"His neighbor didn't come home last night."

"The dance instructor?"

"He's worried about her. He…" Thirteen was cut off by the sound of a cell phone ringing. The ring-tone was one they hadn't heard before – "Minnie the Moocher."

"That's House's phone," Chase said, moving to the coat rack and digging into the pockets. He pulled the phone out, looking at the caller id. "Who's Sarah?" Thirteen sprang from the chair.

"That's his neighbor!"

* * *

"Dr. House, you have a patient waiting in exam 1." House paused in putting down the chart he was carrying.

"I haven't pulled a chart yet," he said.

"He asked for you specifically," the nurse replied. "Exam room 1." She held out a chart and House took it, making his way to the room.

"Mr. Jeffries," he said, reading the name in the chart as he entered. "Why did you ask to see me?" When he looked up, he wasn't too surprised to find that the patient wasn't waiting on the examining table. Oftentimes patients were too nervous to sit and wait. They paced, just as this man was doing.

"Where is she?" the man snarled, lunging at him.

* * *

When Sarah heard Todd's threat on the answering machine, she scrambled to get her cell phone from her pocket. She wasn't sure if he was going after Greg but she couldn't leave him vulnerable. She dialed his number, pacing anxiously as the phone rang and rang. She thought she was about to be sent to voice mail when someone answered. She frowned in confusion at the voice on the other end. After a second she remembered that one of Greg's fellows was Australian.

"Hello?" the man said again.

"Doctor… Doctor Chase, where's Greg?" There was a rustling on the other end and then a woman's voice came.

"Sarah, it's Remy… Dr. Hadley. We met the other night. Where are you? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Listen, you've got to warn Greg. A man may come there, looking for him. He's… it's a long story but I'm worried he might try to hurt Greg."

"Ok. We'll warn him. But what about you? He's worried."

"Just… tell him I'm ok." Sarah hung up. She didn't want them to get wrapped up in asking her questions. They needed to get to Greg.

* * *

Thirteen and Chase burst out of the elevator and into the lobby. Foreman and Taub were just entering, returning from the patient's home.

"What's going on?" Taub asked.

"We need to get to House," Thirteen said, hurrying toward the clinic. Chase went with her. Taub and Foreman looked at each other, shrugged, and followed them.

In the clinic, Thirteen and Chase rushed up to the desk.

"Where's House?" Chase asked. The nurse opened her mouth to speak but there was a loud crash from the direction of exam room 1.

"What was that?" demanded Foreman.

"That's where Dr. House is," said the nurse, looking frightened. "I'm calling Security." A second later there was another crash and everyone jumped. The blinds, which were drawn over the window into exam room one were pushed back as someone was slammed into the window.

"That's House," Thirteen said, moving toward the room. Chase followed her.

"Security's on the way," Foreman said. He was a few steps behind them.

"We're not waiting. Come on!" Thirteen rushed forward and Chase and Foreman quickly moved with her. Taub stepped over to the pharmacy counter, speaking urgently to the pharmacist.

Thirteen threw open the exam room door. A wiry man was standing over House, who was on the floor. House's cane was in the man's hand and as they watched he swung the cane at House's head. Chase and Foreman rushed forward like a pair of line-backers, pushing the man back toward the wall. Thirteen rushed to House, who was half-lying, half-sitting, on the floor.

"Little help here," grunted Foreman, struggling to maintain his grip on the man. Thirteen started to go and help but at that moment Taub rushed into the room, a syringe in his hand. "Hold his arm," he said, and Chase struggled to comply. Taub shoved the needle home and pushed the plunger. After a few seconds, the man's struggles ceased.

Thirteen knelt on the floor beside House. His eyes were open but he was obviously having trouble focusing. One hand gripped his bad leg. His other arm hung stiffly at his side. The back of his head was bleeding from where it had hit the window. She put an awkward arm around him to help him stay seated and he grunted in pain.

"House," she said. "Look at me." She fumbled in her lab coat pocket for a pen light but House slumped, his eyes going shut. Taub looked at her and stuck his head out into the clinic.

"We need a gurney in here!" he yelled.

"Where the hell is Security?" Foreman demanded. Even though the man was still now, neither he nor Chase had relaxed their grip on him.

Thirteen went with House to the emergency room. She helped the nurses get him into a hospital gown and got her first glimpse of the scar on his leg as they were removing his pants. She winced. It looked awful. No wonder he needed pain medication, she thought. There was a small round bruise forming near the scar and after a second she realized that his attacker had jabbed him in his bad leg with the end of his cane.

The ER's exam revealed that, in addition to the bruise, House had a broken collar-bone and two cracked ribs. They scheduled an MRI to check the severity of House's concussion. He still hadn't regained consciousness.

Cuddy joined Thirteen after the x-rays were taken.

"What happened?" she asked.

"A patient in the clinic attacked him. He's got a broken clavicle and two cracked ribs. I think the guy jabbed him in his bad leg with his cane. When we burst in, he was swinging it like a bat, aiming right at House's head." Thirteen shuddered.

"The patient got loose, from Security, before the police arrived," Cuddy said.

"What? Taub sedated him."

"Apparently it wasn't enough. The police are here – they want to talk to you. Did House do anything to provoke this?" Thirteen glared at Cuddy who took a step back.

"Why do you always assume that he did something wrong?" she asked, looking back to House, lying still on the gurney. What do I tell the police, she wondered. Thirteen didn't think that House getting attacked was a random event; it had to have been the man Sarah had called to warn them about. Where was Sarah now?

"You're right. I shouldn't make assumptions," Cuddy said. "I'll stay with him while you're talking to the police."

"If he wakes up, tell him that Sarah called and said she was ok." Thirteen took one last look at her boss and hurried away, leaving Cuddy staring after her.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note: Hello, again. Thank you for all the reviews - please keep 'em coming! I am an addict, People! :)  
**

Sarah hadn't felt safe in her apartment. As soon as she finished her call to Greg's cell phone, she gathered some more clothing and hurried out. She nearly ran to her car, looking around franticly to make sure that Todd wasn't nearby. When she got into her car and locked the door, she breathed again. She hadn't seen him.

The next second her feeling of relief was tempered by one of fear. What if he wasn't here because he had gone to the hospital to attack Greg? I should've told Greg everything from the start, she thought. So what if he didn't want anything to do with me afterwards? At least he wouldn't be in danger now.

* * *

Thirteen met with a detective from the Princeton police department in Cuddy's office. He'd turned one of Cuddy's visitor chairs away from her desk and sat in it, facing the couch. Thirteen took a seat on the couch. She didn't know what she was going to tell this man.

It turned out that Chase had told the detective all about the phone call from Sarah. The detective had a lot of questions about House's neighbor.

"All I know is that she lives at 221 Baker Street, Apartment A and her name is Sarah Kelly," Thirteen said for what felt like the fifth time. "She didn't come home last night and House was worried about her this morning. She called to warn him about a man who might come to hurt him. Chase and I got the call because House was down here in the clinic. We came to pass along the warning but House was being attacked when we arrived."

"Why did Ms. Kelly think this man was going to attack Dr. House?"

"I don't know. She didn't say. I tried to ask her some questions but she hung up." The detective nodded.

"So the four of you came to the rescue. He must be a good boss."

"He's a good doctor," Thirteen said.

"How is Dr. House?"

"He was unconscious when I left the ER. They were going to take him up for an MRI to check for concussion. He's got two cracked ribs and a broken collar-bone."

"Ouch. Broke my collar-bone once and it hurt like a … well, it hurt a lot." The detective stood up. "I think that's all, for now. If you think of anything else, call me." He handed Thirteen a business card and she tucked it into her pocket.

* * *

When House opened his eyes, he found he was surrounded by bright white walls. Looking at them hurt his eyes and he shut them. A thudding, clunking noise sounded, echoing through the small space and making the pain in his head worse. He felt himself start to panic. What had happened to him? He was in a lot of pain and he didn't know why.

"House, it's ok." Thirteen's voice sounded like it was coming through the speaker on a drive-up. "You're in the MRI. Just hold still for a few more minutes." He let out a shaky breath and kept his eyes shut. MRI and pain in his head – he must have a concussion. As he lay still he tried to trace the source of the rest of his pain. His bad leg was hurting, there was pain along his left side, and his left shoulder was also throbbing. He tried to remember what had happened to him. The last thing that he remembered was being in the clinic, getting his blood drawn for a drug test. He'd been hoping that Thirteen and Chase could continue to look after Maggie…

"Where's Maggie?" he asked, his voice echoing in the chamber of the MRI.

"Chase is with her," Thirteen said. "She's ok. Just hold on a few more minutes."

* * *

"Where's Maggie?" House asked. Thirteen could hear how shaky he was, even with the echoing from the MRI chamber. She glanced at Dr. Cuddy, who was standing to her right in the MRI control booth. Foreman, sitting on her left, was making a show of being uninterested. Thirteen opened the microphone for the machine's speaker.

"Chase is with her," Thirteen said. "She's ok. Just hold on a few more minutes."

"Who is Maggie?" Cuddy asked. Foreman continued to pretend to ignore them both but Thirteen knew that he was listening intently.

"She's Sarah's… dog."

"Sarah Kelly?" demanded Cuddy. "Why does House have her dog?" Thirteen wasn't sure what to tell her about Sarah. This was House's business. He hadn't told anyone what his relationship with Sarah was, not even her. House had been very concerned about Sarah on Friday night. Clearly they were more than just neighbors, but were they also more than just friends? It wasn't really any of her business, or Cuddy's. The computer beeped.

"Scan is done," Foreman said. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. Thirteen sprang up to go and get House, relieved to escape from Cuddy's questioning.

* * *

House tried hard to control his breathing as the tray from the MRI machine slid back out into the room. The pain was intense. He knew he couldn't have narcotics and if they were worried about internal injuries they wouldn't want to give him ibuprofen.

Thirteen leaned over him, her face full of concern.

"You have two cracked ribs, a broken clavicle, and a concussion," she told him. "Do you remember what happened?" House shut his eyes, trying to remember.

"I was in the clinic," he said. He tried to concentrate but he couldn't remember anything more.

"You were attacked by a … patient, in the clinic." House opened his eyes to look at Thirteen. Why had she hesitated? What wasn't she telling him?

"Sarah…" House began. Thirteen started to shake her head and Cuddy came into view.

"I'm getting you moved straight up to a room," Cuddy told him. "The police are going to want to talk to you."

"I don't remember anything," House said. It was true, but he was also concerned with finding out what Thirteen hadn't told him. He wanted Cuddy to go away so that he could talk to his fellow.

"I'll let them know," Cuddy said, frowning at him. She moved out of his sight and House braced himself for the transfer from the MRI to the gurney. It was going to hurt.

* * *

Sarah returned to the hotel where she'd stayed the night before. She locked herself into her room and paced. Should she stay here, she asked herself, or move to a different hotel? She wanted to call Greg again and make sure that he was ok. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Todd wasn't really going to go after him.

Sarah took out her cell phone, holding it in both hands and staring at it. Should she try to call Greg again? What was she going to say if he answered? What would she do if he didn't answer? She sat down on the edge of the bed and set the phone beside her. She hated feeling so indecisive. She growled in frustration and picked up her phone, powering it on.

The voice mail notification popped up and Sarah keyed in her password carefully. Her hands were starting to shake as she lifted the phone to her ear.

"You have one new message," said the electronic voice. "Received today at 11:18 am." Sarah took a deep breath.

"Sarah, I need to see you. I've gotta see you," came Todd's voice. He was panting and his voice was trembling. "Your limping friend wouldn't tell me where you are. Please, Sarah, I need to see you. I came all this way. You can't do this to me!" Sarah hit the key to delete the message, not wanting to hear any more. She felt sick. Had he tried to hurt Greg? He'd sounded strange. The lightening fast change from pleading to threatening wasn't unusual, but he'd been breathing heavily.

* * *

When they moved House from the MRI to the gurney, he nearly screamed. Thirteen cringed in sympathy and reached out to check his pulse. His eyes were squeezed shut and his lips were compressed into a tight line, as if he was trying to keep from making any more sounds. His pulse was rapid and he was sweating.

"Hang on, House," she murmured. "We'll get you into that room now."

"Check on Maggie," he said, opening his eyes to look at her.

"She's with Chase. I'm sure she's fine."

"Just check. Now."

"Ok. I'll go." Thirteen glanced over at Foreman, whose face had remained impassive the entire time. House was going to have to be moved one more time, from the gurney to the hospital bed. She realized that he didn't want her to see that. She looked one more time at House and then headed to the Diagnostics office.

Chase and Taub were in the conference room. Maggie was sitting on Chase's lap, her chin resting on the table, as he looked through a file. Thirteen smiled; it looked like the dog was reading the file with him.

"How is he?" Taub asked.

"Cracked ribs, broken clavicle, concussion." Thirteen felt like she'd given this report to a dozen people already. "He woke up during the MRI. He's in a lot of pain."

"He can't have narcotics, not with his addiction," Chase said.

"He asked me to check on Maggie," Thirteen said, cutting off the discussion. She'd run through the same considerations already. If there were any internal injuries, NSAIDS might cause House to bleed out.

"She's ok," Chase said. "She was sitting in Taub's lap when I came in."

"She's a cute dog," Taub said defensively. "Why does House have her?"

"Have you heard from Sarah?" Thirteen ignored Taub's question, addressing her own to Chase. He shook his head.

"Think we should try calling her?"

"I don't know."

"Sarah's the dance instructor, right? Is this her dog?" Taub asked. Maggie squeaked, putting her front feet up onto the table and stretching toward Thirteen, tail wagging. Taub looked amused when Thirteen sat down beside Chase and allowed Maggie to climb into her lap. She had to lean her head back to keep from being licked in the face. Taub looked from her to Chase and back again.

"Neither one of you is going to tell me what's going on, are you?"

"Nope," Thirteen said.

"Fine. Want to hear what Foreman and I found in our patient's home?"

* * *

Moving from the gurney to the bed had been as bad as moving from the MRI to the gurney. House had just gotten his breathing back under control when the door to his room slid open.

"House?" It was Cuddy's voice and House turned his head to watch her walk toward his bed. A man in a bad suit was waiting in the hallway outside. The police, House thought.

"Cuddy," he said, trying to keep his voice under control.

"The police want to talk to you. I've explained that you don't remember anything about your attack but the detective has some other questions."

"Ok," House said, closing his eyes for a moment.

"I'm not letting him stay long," Cuddy said and House opened his eyes to stare at her. Her tone had been gentle throughout and her face was full of concern.

"Relax. I'm not going to sue."

"House…" She shook her head, looking exasperated now, and turned to go get the detective. He knew that people in Security were going to be getting chewed out today. Considering their track record, they deserved it. He supposed he should be glad that whoever it was that had attacked him this time hadn't used a gun.

"Dr. House, I'm Lloyd Graham with the Princeton PD. I need to ask you some questions about what happened here today. Is that ok?"

"Ask your questions," House said. He just wanted to get this over with.

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I was in the clinic. I don't… remember…." Flashes were coming back to House. Someone had yelled, demanding "Where is she?" and a man had been standing over him, swinging a cane at him, his cane.

"A man attacked you. Do you remember any of that?"

"I… I don't know." Nothing more was coming back.

"Your fellows Drs. Chase and Hadley said that a woman named Sarah Kelly called to warn you that a man might come to hurt you today. They came to tell you about the call but you were being attacked. We need to talk to Ms. Kelly. Do you know where she is?"

"I don't," House said. "She… she didn't come home last night." House fought back a rising sense of panic. This man needed to go find Sarah, not interrogate him.

"Do you have any idea how Ms. Kelly knew that this man was going to come here?"

"A man left several threatening messages on her answering machine. One of her friends also left her a message, telling her that someone named Todd was out on parole."

"How did you come to hear these messages?"

"I was in her apartment – she gave me a key – taking care of her dog," House said. "She… you need to find her. I think she's in danger." It was getting harder to control his breathing. Everything hurt so much. Cuddy stepped forward.

"I think that's enough, Detective Graham," she said, her eyes flicking toward the monitors to House's left. He knew they would show elevated heart rate and blood pressure. "Dr. House needs to rest."

"If you think of anything, please call me right away." The detective pulled out a card and Cuddy took it from him.

"He will," Cuddy said, steering the detective toward the door. House shut his eyes, his right hand clenching in the blanket as he fought back nausea. He heard Cuddy saying something to the detective; she sounded far away. He concentrated on his breathing, trying to block out everything else.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note: Still don't own House. Thanks for the reviews - keep 'em coming! **

Thirteen smuggled Maggie to House's room late that afternoon. She'd taken the dog outside but when they'd returned to House's office, the little dog had run around. She seemed to be looking for the diagnostician. It made Thirteen feel sad. First her owner didn't come home and now the man who'd taken care of her had also gone missing. She was in a strange place, surrounded by people she didn't know.

"You have to be quiet," Thirteen told her, scooping up the dog. She took the stairs to the floor where House's room was and slipped down the hall.

House was lying still in the bed, his left arm in a sling. At first Thirteen thought he was asleep, until she saw his right hand clenched tight in the blanket. The dog began to squirm in her arms, her tail wagging. Thirteen carried her over toward the bed.

"House," she said quietly, not wanting to startle him. A glance at the monitors showed that his heart rate and blood pressure were elevated. Maggie squirmed some more. Thirteen carefully set her on the bed by House's side and the dog moved forward, putting herself between House's right side and his arm. He opened his eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking from Thirteen to the dog.

"She was trying to find you." House unclenched his hand and ran it along Maggie's side. The dog leaned into him, her tail still wagging. "Have they given you any pain medication?"

"Tylenol. It's useless." Thirteen shuddered. She'd tried Tylenol for headaches a few times and found it to have no effect on her pain. She couldn't imagine having to rely on it for anything more serious. "Cuddy didn't want to try the methadone."

"Well, that whole not-breathing thing was pretty scary."

"Yeah. What about Sarah?"

"We haven't heard from her," Thirteen said. "I could try to call her. Your cell phone is up in your office."

"Cuddy," House said.

"Wha…"

"In the hall."

"Crap!" Thirteen turned to see Cuddy looking through the room's glass wall. She looked back to Maggie. "Stay!" She told her before hurrying out of the room and meeting Cuddy at the door.

"Why is there a dog in House's bed?" the older woman demanded. Thirteen slid the door shut behind her.

"The dog was trying to find him in the office." She glanced back into the room. "His blood pressure's gone down since she got here."

"Why is House taking care of his neighbor's dog? Who is she to him?" Thirteen wasn't sure if Cuddy was asking her or talking to herself until Cuddy narrowed her eyes at her.

"She's his neighbor. They're… friends, I think."

"You met her. When?"

"Friday night. She had the flu and was dehydrated. I took House some supplies so he could treat her."

"You…" Cuddy was surprised. She looked past Thirteen, frowning into House's room. Thirteen turned to look. House's eyes were closed. His hand rested on Maggie, who was lying beside him.

* * *

Sarah had turned off her cell phone after deleting Todd's latest message. She paced her room, still debating on whether or not she should move hotels. She wanted to do something, take some kind of action, but venturing outside was still terrifying.

She replayed Todd's message in her head. "Your limping friend wouldn't tell me where you are," he'd said. He'd gone to see Greg. What had he done? Did he hurt Greg? Sarah froze in her pacing, feeling anger course through her. If he'd hurt Greg…

"I am tired of running," she said out loud. "I am tired of being frightened all the time. How dare he! How dare he come here and terrorize me and threaten my friend!" She pounded a fist into her palm. She pulled her coat on, grabbed her purse, and started toward the door. She froze with her hand on the handle. Going outside was still terrifying.

* * *

Thirteen paced in House's office. She held House's cell phone in her hands. She was debating on whether or not to call Sarah. House hadn't had the chance to tell her if that's what he wanted. When she'd finished talking to Cuddy and returned to his room to get the dog, he'd been asleep. She'd brought Maggie back here and now she was curled up in his chair sleeping.

Thirteen scrolled through the Contacts listing in the phone until she found Sarah, and hit send. The call went straight to voice mail. She spoke after the tone.

"Sarah, this is Dr. Hadley at Princeton Plainsboro. Dr. House… has been hurt. We tried to warn him as you asked, but he was being attacked when we got to him. His attacker escaped. House is going to be alright but he's very worried about you. Please, call us. Let me come and get you. I really think House needs to see you." She hung up and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. She hoped she had done the right thing.

* * *

When House woke up he found Cuddy sitting by his bed. He could see through the room's windows that it was dark outside. He'd been out for a few hours then. He wasn't hurting as badly as he had been before and he wondered what they'd given him besides the Tylenol. Cuddy got up and came to stand beside the bed.

"Hi," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Where's Thirteen?" he asked. He wanted to know if she'd heard from Sarah. Cuddy frowned at him.

"She's with the rest of your team, taking care of your patient. The dog is still in your office."

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home with your baby and your boy-toy?" House just wanted Cuddy to go away. He needed to figure out how to find Sarah.

"I was just leaving," Cuddy said with an exasperated sigh. "Get some rest." She patted his arm once and walked away. Cuddy was almost to the door when House called out to her. He'd had an idea, if he had the nerve to go through with it.

"Cuddy!" She turned and looked back at him.

"What, House?"

"Lucas… Maybe Lucas could find Sarah." Cuddy stared at him for what seemed like a long time.

"I'll ask him to come by and see you," she said finally.

* * *

Thirteen was the last person left in the office. Taub had left first, wanting to get home to his wife. Foreman had gone next. Their patient had finally responded to the treatment, giving them the clues they needed to diagnose him correctly. He was on the right treatment now. Thirteen had volunteered to stay and monitor the patient.

Chase had gone to get dog food for Maggie. He'd said that he would stay to monitor the patient as well, despite having drawn the short straw the night before. Thirteen suspected that he wanted to monitor House as well.

Neither of them was sure what to do about Maggie. Taub and Foreman had done their best to ignore the dog all afternoon. Taub had failed; Thirteen caught him petting her on more than one occasion. Thirteen shook her head; Foreman had to be cold-hearted to ignore Maggie's sweet face. Breaking up with him had definitely been the right decision.

Thirteen looked up as the conference room door opened. She expected to see Chase returning but instead Lucas Douglas walked in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She'd been shocked to learn that Cuddy was dating the private investigator, and had been for some time.

"House asked to see me. He wants me to find his friend."

"The police are looking for her."

"They're more concerned with finding the man who attacked House," Lucas said. "Lisa says he's really worried about this woman, Sarah."

"He is," Thirteen admitted, leading the way into House's office. "I tried to call her earlier." She picked up House's cell phone and pulled up Sarah's number. Lucas jotted it down before collecting House's keys from his coat pocket.

"You going to stay here tonight?" he asked, glancing at Maggie.

"Yes," Thirteen said. She didn't want to leave House alone.

* * *

Sarah felt ashamed of herself. She'd just frozen, too frightened to leave her hotel room. She'd backed away from the door and sank down onto the edge of the bed. Todd was out there somewhere. She didn't know what he had done to Greg.

"I am such a coward," she muttered. She pulled out her cell phone and powered it on again. Her voice mail notification came up again. She stared at it for a minute, dreading the thought of hearing another message from Todd. "Come on, Coward." She keyed in her password and raised the phone to her ear.

"Sarah, this is Dr. Hadley at Princeton Plainsboro. Dr. House… has been hurt. We tried to warn him as you asked, but he was being attacked when we got to him. His attacker escaped. House is going to be alright but he's very worried about you. Please, call us. Let me come and get you. I really think House needs to see you." Sarah hung up the phone and sat, feeling her heart pound. Now she knew what Todd had done. Dr. Hadley thought Greg needed to see her but Sarah didn't know how she could ever face him again.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note: Still don't own House. If I did, I would be in California and it wouldn't be 11 degrees outside either. And I'd get to work with Hugh Laurie.... Anyway, here's the next installment in our little adventure. Someone (thank you again Brighid45) gave me the title Queen of Cliffhangers and I like it. :) It's far more dignified than Pathetic Review Junkie. Tell me what you think!**

Chase returned with the dog food a few minutes after Lucas left. Thirteen was holding House's cell phone, pacing the office. Chase set down the dog food bag on the conference room table.

"I just passed Lucas in the lobby. What's he doing here? I thought Cuddy went home."

"House has asked him to find Sarah," Thirteen said.

"Wow. He really is worried." Chase nodded at the phone in her hands. "What are you doing with his phone?"

"I was wondering if I should call her, let her know that Lucas is looking for her."

"That might make her run."

"It might make her understand how worried House really is," countered Thirteen. She would have gone on but Maggie spoke up, barking at the bag of food on the table.

"Someone's hungry," laughed Chase. "Do we have some paper plates around here?" Thirteen put down House's phone to help him find some.

Once the dog was eating, Chase and Thirteen took seats across from each other at the conference room table.

"You aren't falling for House, are you?" Chase asked. Thirteen just stared at him for a minute, completely stunned by the question.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Cameron had a crush on him for a long time. I don't know that she ever really got over it."

"I do not have a crush on House," Thirteen said firmly. "I just think dismissing him as a misanthropic ass is over-simplifying." They both fell silent for a minute and then Thirteen spoke again. "Why are you here tonight? I said I would stay and monitor the patient."

"I want to find out what's going to happen next, with House and his dance instructor," Chase said, getting up from the table and going to retrieve the empty paper plate. Thirteen shifted in her chair so she could follow him with her eyes. She wasn't buying his explanation.

"Curiosity is keeping you here," she said skeptically.

"House let me hit him," Chase blurted out. "That time, a few weeks ago, when he made the crack about calling Cameron. I wasn't really mad at him, I just couldn't get the rest of you to leave me alone. Taub wanted to have me over for Thanksgiving, you were recommending a shrink, and Foreman wanted to go drinking and commiserate about the perils of dating doctors." Chase did a fair impersonation of Foreman on the last bit and Thirteen laughed.

"Foreman would want to make it all about him," she said wryly.

"House knew, when I told him why I hit him. He understood exactly what I'd been trying to accomplish."

"Yeah, that sounds like House." She gave Chase a small smile.

"I'm going to take the dog out," he said, moving to get his coat and the leash. Thirteen nodded. He probably wanted a few minutes to himself; she could respect that. She looked at House's cell phone, resting in front of her on the table, and resumed her internal debate.

* * *

House lay in his hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling. Asking Cuddy and Lucas for help had been the last thing he'd wanted to do but he'd been so worried for Sarah. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake. Lucas was a thorough investigator. He'd learn as much as he could about Sarah to help him in his search. House didn't think she'd appreciate the invasion of her privacy. He'd told Lucas that he didn't want to know what he learned; he just wanted Sarah back safe.

The door to his room opened and he looked to see Thirteen coming in, followed by Chase who was carrying Maggie. The dog's tail started wagging the second she saw him. House was amazed by how pleased that sight made him feel.

"What are you both doing here?" he asked with a pointed glance at the clock.

"Monitoring the patient," Thirteen said.

"It takes two of you to monitor one patient?" House frowned.

"It takes two of us to monitor one patient and one dog," Chase replied, setting Maggie down beside House. The dog promptly leaned into him again, her tail wagging faster. House petted her automatically, not looking at his fellows. He was grateful for their help but saying thank you had never been easy for him.

"I saw Lucas," Thirteen said. "He came to get your keys."

"He's looking for Sarah," House said, glancing over at her before turning his eyes back to the dog.

"You're really worried about her," Chase said, sounding almost surprised. House looked at him sharply for a second before turning his gaze back to Maggie.

"Yes," he said.

* * *

Sarah slipped out of her hotel room. She made her way down the hall to the vending machines, watching warily. She hadn't wanted to leave her room but she knew that she needed to eat before she wound up feeling sick again.

The vending room sat behind and to the left of the reception desk. When Sarah entered, she saw that the door between the desk and the room was open. A man stood at the desk, talking to the clerk. He had dark hair going every which way on his head. He showed something to the clerk. Sarah caught part of what he was saying.

"Her…Sarah…missing. …trying…find…" Sarah sucked in a breath, feeling her heart start to race. She backed away from the room, not taking her eyes off of the man at the front desk. She backed into the hallway and turned to go back to her room. She needed to get out of here.

* * *

House had fallen asleep about half-an-hour after Thirteen and Chase arrived in his room. Maggie had gone to sleep beside him. Chase smothered a yawn and Thirteen frowned at him.

"You don't have to stay," she told him. "I can monitor the patient."

"Go monitor him," Chase said, dropping into the room's chair. "I'll stay here with House and Maggie."

"We could bring in a cot for you…"

"I'm fine. Go check on our patient." Thirteen smiled and he stared at her. "What?"

"You sounded just like House," she told him and her smile broadened at the way his jaw dropped. Chuckling softly, Thirteen left him sitting there.

The patient was asleep. His vitals were improving. The treatment was working. Thirteen was relieved to know that the man would recover, but wished that it hadn't been Foreman who'd gotten the diagnosis correct. He would be insufferable until House could find a way to remind him that he wasn't as smart as he thought.

Thirteen went back to the diagnostics office. House's cell phone was sitting on the conference table where she and Chase had left it. She walked over to pick it up, wondering again if she should call Sarah. The woman couldn't keep hiding. Not only was the crazy man hunting for her, but now the police and Lucas Douglass were looking for her too. She found Sarah's number in the contacts listing again and hit "Send." The phone rang twice.

"Hello?" The voice was shaky. Thirteen was so stunned that someone had answered that for a second she said nothing. "Greg, is it you?"

"Sarah, it's Dr. Hadley. Are you ok?"

"No. There's a man here looking for me."

"Mussed up dark hair, scruffy face, light blue eyes?"

"Ye…yes."

"That's Lucas Douglas. He's a private investigator. House asked him to find you."

"Greg did what?"

"He's worried sick about you. He asked Lucas to find you and get you somewhere safe. Sarah, please, go with Lucas."

"I… I have to go. There's someone at the door." Sarah disconnected the call. Thirteen gave a sigh of frustration. She didn't know if she'd gotten through to her or not.

* * *

"Sarah, please go with Lucas," Dr. Hadley pleaded. A knock sounded on Sarah's door, derailing her train of thought.

"I… I have to go. There's someone at the door." She ended the call and moved to the door, expecting to find the man from the front desk on the other side. She didn't put the chain on but just opened the door.

"Hello, Sarah," Todd said, stepping forward to clamp a hand over her mouth before she could scream.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note: I couldn't leave you hanging all day so here is the next chapter. It's funny - but leaving a cliffhanger always serves to motivate ME to write more, sooner. :) You know what to do - read and review!**

Sarah's brain seemed to be stuck. All she could think was oh my God, oh my God. Todd had backed her across the room toward the bed, using his foot to shut the door behind him. One hand was over her mouth and the other gripped her left arm. He was smiling. His eyes were wild, the pupils dilated, and his face was covered in a sheen of sweat. His breath was foul, like the bottom of a garbage can.

"I finally found you, Sarah," he said, grinning. "I was waiting outside your apartment building and a man came. He went into your apartment; I could see the lights on inside. When he left, I followed him and he led me to you." Sarah could feel the hand over her mouth twitching. The back of her legs bumped into the bed and she dug her heels into the carpet to keep from sitting down. Todd pressed up closer to her and she thought she might throw up. His breath was awful. "I missed you so much. You kept running away from me. I think it's time you stopped playing hard to get." He moved his hand away from her mouth, gripping the back of her head instead.

"Get away from me," Sarah said, her voice trembling. Todd was moving his face closer to hers, intending to kiss her, his fetid breath filling her nostrils. She thought she was going to gag. The oh my God litany in her brain finally ceased. SING popped into her head instead. Solar plexus, instep, nose, groin, now! Her right hand balled into a fist and she hit Todd in the stomach. He gasped and lost his grip on her neck. She stepped on his instep as hard as she could as she aimed a fist at his nose. He stumbled backward, letting go of her as he cupped his bleeding nose and she snatched up the lamp from the bedside table, crashing it into his head as hard as she could. A shard from the ceramic base lodged in her hand but she didn't notice the pain. Todd dropped to the floor and Sarah hurried past him, running out of the hotel room as fast as she could.

* * *

Thirteen paced the office. She didn't like the way Sarah had ended their call so abruptly. House's cell phone was still in her hand. She thought about trying to call Sarah again and then remembered seeing "Lucas" in the contacts listing; it must have been programmed into his old phone and gotten transferred over to this one. She scrolled through to the number and hit "Send."

"This is Lucas."

"Lucas, it's Dr. Hadley. Is Sarah with you?"

"No, I haven't found her yet. I'm checking some hotels out by the interstate."

"I just spoke to her. She saw you at her hotel."

"Are you sure?"

"She saw someone matching your description. I told her who you were and that House had sent you. When she hung up, she said someone was at her door."

"Alright. I'll go back to the hotel I just left. She must be there."

* * *

Sarah ran down the hall away from her hotel room. She charged through the lobby and out into the parking lot. When she reached her car she realized that her purse, coat, and car keys, were all still in the room. She stopped by her car, breathing heavily, and got her first good look at the vehicle. Both of her rear tires were flat. She wasn't going anywhere in this thing. Her right hand was throbbing and she looked down to see a two-inch shard of ceramic sticking out of it. She winced, feeling light-headed, and leaned back against her car. Now what do I do she asked herself. Todd had obviously disabled the car before coming inside to find her.

A car pulled into the hotel's parking lot, the headlights sweeping across Sarah. She pushed herself off of her car, trying to prepare herself to run, but her legs felt like jell-o. It was all she could do to stand. The car came slowly toward her, coming to a stop a few feet from her. She heard a window slide down.

"Sarah Kelly?" asked a male voice. "I'm Lucas Douglas. Dr. House sent me to find you." Sarah took a step toward the car, the light-headedness increasing. She was starting to see static, like a tv that was tuned to a dead channel. She heard a car door open as her knees buckled and then there were arms around her. "Ok. Ok. Take it easy. I'm going to get you to the hospital."

* * *

Thirteen was pacing in the office again. Lucas was going back to the hotel to find Sarah, but who had been at Sarah's door? She stared at House's cell phone, willing it to ring. The conference room door opened and a sleepy-looking Chase stumbled in, Maggie in his arms. Thirteen moved quickly to get the dog from him.

"What are you doing?"

"One of the nurses kicked me out. Actually, she kicked Maggie out." Chase led the way into House's office, dropping into his chair and putting his feet up on the footstool. Thirteen put Maggie into his lap.

"I talked to Sarah," she said. "Lucas was at her hotel, trying to find her. I told her who he was and that House had sent him but then someone was knocking on her door and she hung up."

"Lucas?" asked Chase.

"I called Lucas and he had left the hotel and was going to check another one. I sent him back to where he'd been. I don't know who was at Sarah's door."

"Shit," Chase said. "Do you think the crazy guy found her?"

"I don't know. I just…" Thirteen stopped talking as House's cell phone started ringing. This time the song was "Somebody's Watching Me." The caller id showed it was Lucas.

"Hello?" Thirteen said.

"I've got Sarah. I'm bringing her there. I should be there in ten minutes. Can you meet us in the ambulance bay?"

"Is she alright?"

"She cut her hand up pretty good and she almost fainted on me."

"Ok. I'll meet you there." Lucas disconnected the call.

"He found her?" asked Chase.

"He's bringing her here. He said she cut up her hand and fainted. I'm meeting him in the ambulance bay in ten minutes."

"I'll come with you."

"Someone has to stay with the dog," Thirteen said. "You're exhausted. Sit with Maggie. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I can." Thirteen didn't wait for Chase to answer before she hurried out of the office to go down to the Emergency room.

* * *

Sarah sat in the car, keeping her eyes aimed straight ahead. She could feel the man, Lucas, shooting glances her way as he drove. Her left hand was wrapped around her right wrist, holding onto the towel that he had wrapped around her right hand. She didn't want to look at it. The first time she'd closed her eyes, she'd seen Todd, blood running from his nose, bleeding from his head where she'd struck him with the lamp. She kept her eyes open now, even when headlights from on-coming cars hit them.

When her knees had buckled in the hotel parking lot, Lucas had put his arms around her to keep her up. He'd helped her get into his car, telling her he was going to take her to the hospital and that she was going to be alright. He'd found the towel in his trunk and wrapped it around her hand, leaving the shard in place for the emergency room doctors to remove. He hadn't asked her any questions.

She heard him make a call and hoped he was talking to Dr. Hadley. She wasn't ready to face Greg. She knew that she should tell Lucas what had happened at the hotel. Todd probably needed an ambulance and the police would want to know where he was, but she didn't want to tell this stranger about what had happened. Maybe she would tell Dr. Hadley.

"We're almost there," Lucas said quietly. "Thirteen… Dr. Hadley, is going to meet us in the ambulance bay. She'll take care of your hand. You're going to be alright." Sarah wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure her or himself. I should say something, she thought. He's probably worried that I'm passing out over here or something.

"Ok," she said finally. It was such an effort to get those two syllables out.

"Ok," he repeated, sounding relieved. "We're almost there."

* * *

It was a quiet night in the ER. There were several patients but no serious injuries. Thirteen alerted the attending about Sarah's injuries and that she was being brought to the ambulance bay.

"You're treating her?" asked the attending.

"She's a friend of a … friend," Thirteen said. "If you want your people to handle it, that's fine. I just want to make sure she's ok."

"Fine. Take Beck with you. Hey, Beck!" The attending bellowed across the room, summoning a pretty red-head. "Dr. Hadley's got a hand lac coming in. Take care of it." The red-head nodded, turning to Thirteen.

"ETA?" she asked.

"Three minutes," Thirteen said. "All I know is that she cut her hand and she almost fainted. They're coming to the ambulance bay."

"I'll meet you there with a gurney." Thirteen nodded, helping herself to some gloves from a box on the counter and heading to the ambulance bay. The red-head turned up with a gurney just as a car pulled in to the bay. Thirteen hurried out to meet Lucas as he climbed out of the driver's seat.

"There's a shard – something ceramic – in her hand. I didn't want to make the bleeding worse so I just left it there," he said, hurrying around the car with Thirteen at his heels. "She hasn't said much but she's conscious." He opened the car door and leaned in. "We're here now. C'mon." He helped Sarah get out of the car.

Sarah's face was white. Her dark eyes seemed huge in her pale face. A towel was wrapped loosely around her right hand and Thirteen could see blood spatters on her jeans.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I… smashed a lamp," Sarah said, her voice so low that if Thirteen had been on the other side of the car she wouldn't have heard it. "Over Todd's head. He's … he was just lying there, on the floor." She shuddered.

"She's going down," Lucas warned, tightening his arms around Sarah. Dr. Beck hurried up with the gurney and the three of them managed to get Sarah onto it.

"Let's get her inside," Dr. Beck said and Thirteen stepped up to help move the gurney.

"I'm going to move my car," Lucas told her. "And then I'd better call the police and tell House that I found her."

"Stay away from House," Thirteen said. "I'll talk to him." They went through the doors into the hospital, leaving Lucas by his car.


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: I still do not own House, no matter how much I wish I did. It's still bumming me out. You can make me feel better by reviewing this story. Hope you enjoy!**

House woke up. For a moment he wasn't sure where he was, and he couldn't figure out why his left shoulder and side hurt so much. Flashes came back to him, a man standing over him, swinging a cane – his cane – at him.

He looked for the clock and saw it was 12:30. He glanced at the visitor's chair but it was empty. He thought he remembered Chase sitting there. Maggie was also gone from his side. He hoped that Chase had gone somewhere to get some sleep. He'd looked exhausted when he'd been here earlier.

House lay in the bed, trying to figure out why he was awake. His pain was no worse than it had been earlier. He couldn't shake the feeling that _something_ had happened.

* * *

Thirteen stood by the gurney in one of the ER's curtained areas. They'd moved the gurney into a sitting position and Sarah sat on it, staring at nothing. Lucas had rejoined them in time to see Dr. Beck removing the ceramic shard from Sarah's hand. He'd gone pale but he'd stayed where he was, near the foot of the gurney. Dr. Beck left to get a suture kit and Lucas spoke.

"Sarah, I called the police. They're going to that hotel to get Todd."

"They won't bring him here, will they?"

"Princeton General is closer," Lucas said. "They'll probably take him there unless…"

"I'm sure they'll take him to the closest hospital," Thirteen said quickly.

"Ok," Sarah said. "Ok."

"There's a detective who wants to talk to you," Lucas said. "His name is Graham."

"Ok," Sarah said. She looked over at Thirteen. "You said Greg was hurt. How… how is he?"

"He's going to be fine," Thirteen said. "He has two cracked ribs, a broken collar-bone, and a concussion. He's upstairs, asleep. You can go and see him once you get your stitches."

"Maggie…"

"She's up in our office, with Chase. She's fine. We've snuck her in to see House a few times."

"I want to see her."

"As soon as you've gotten your stitches," Thirteen said. "I'll take you to see Maggie and House." Sarah nodded. Dr. Beck returned, carrying the suture kit.

"Ok, Sarah. I'm going to give you some Lidocaine and then we'll get you stitched up." Thirteen put a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"I'm going to go let House know that you're safe," she said. "He's been worried. I'll be right back. Ok?"

"I'll stay right here while she's gone," Lucas added though his face had gone pale again when Dr. Beck had opened up the suture kit.

"Ok," Sarah said. Thirteen patted her shoulder for a second and then hurried out. She didn't want to leave Sarah for very long.

* * *

"Nurse!" House hit the call button for the second time, adding the yell for good measure. He wanted to sit up but the bed controls weren't working. He was about to yell again when the door to his room slid open and an aggravated nurse strode in.

"What is it, Dr. House?" she demanded.

"Where is Dr. Chase?" he asked.

"I told him he had to take that dog out of here," the nurse said, stepping forward to help House with the bed. The controls behaved perfectly for her.

"That dog's name is Maggie," House snarled once he was sitting up.

"Whatever. You can't have a dog in your room. It's unsanitary."

"Dogs and humans don't share germs," House retorted. "Didn't you learn that in nurse school?"

"Dr. House…" The nurse stopped because the door to the room was opening. House looked around her to see Thirteen coming in. Her face was flushed and she was breathless; House wondered if she'd been running.

"What?" he demanded when she didn't speak immediately.

"Sarah's here," she said. "She's ok. She's safe." House started to swing his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the sharp pain in his side. He wanted to see Sarah and confirm for himself that she was ok.

"Where's my cane?" he demanded. The nurse put a restraining hand on his good shoulder.

"You can't get up, Dr. House," she said.

"I'll use the iv pole," House muttered, but the nurse pressed against his good shoulder so that he couldn't get enough leverage to get out of the bed.

"House," Thirteen said warningly. "Stop. I'll bring Sarah up here as soon as she's done in the Emergency Room." House froze.

"Why is she in the Emergency Room?" What had the psycho done to her? He felt his heart start to race as a thousand horrid images raced through his mind.

"She cut her hand when she smashed a lamp over the nut-job's head," Thirteen said quickly. "She's getting stitches. She's going to be fine." House breathed a sigh of relief. The pain in his side grew sharper, or perhaps he just became more aware of it. He sagged back into the bed and the nurse moved her hand, lifting his legs back onto the mattress.

"The psycho?" he asked.

"Last time Sarah saw him he was lying on the floor of her hotel room. Lucas called the police. They should have him by now. I've got to get back. I just wanted to let you know that she is safe now." House nodded.

"Thank you," he said. Now that his spurt of adrenaline was gone, he felt exhausted. Thirteen nodded in acknowledgment and left. The nurse drew the blanket up around him.

"You need to rest," she admonished. "I'm going to put the bed back down now."

"No," House said. "Not yet." He didn't want to go back to sleep until he'd seen Sarah.

* * *

The Lidocaine spray had stung when it was applied, but it left Sarah's hand numb. She looked away as Dr. Beck stitched closed the gash. Lucas Douglass was still standing near the foot of the gurney. He also looked away from the stitching, his face pale. His eyes wandered around the curtained area, finally coming to meet hers.

"Doing ok?" he asked her.

"How does Greg know you?" she asked.

"He hired me, about a year ago, to follow his friend, Wilson." Sarah stared at him and he swallowed before continuing. "See, House was in this bus accident with Wilson's girlfriend and she died. Wilson told House that they weren't friends anymore, resigned from his position here, said he was leaving. House hired me to keep track of what he was doing." The curtain moved aside and Dr. Hadley entered, glaring daggers at Lucas.

"Shouldn't you get home to Cuddy?" she asked.

"Uh, sure, yeah. Ok." Lucas gave Sarah an awkward smile. "I'm glad you're ok. He had to be really worried, to ask me for help." He backed away, finally turning at the curtain and stumbling through it. Dr. Hadley gave an exasperated sigh before turning back to Sarah.

"Stitches are all done. I'm going to bandage this, mostly to cushion it. The bleeding's stopped," said Dr. Beck.

"I'll take care of that," Dr. Hadley said quickly, moving to take the gauze from the red-head. The other doctor nodded and left. Dr. Hadley started winding the gauze around Sarah's hand, covering the stitched gash.

"Does Greg know I'm here?" Sarah asked. She felt like she was coming out of a fog. Her mind was starting to work again.

"I just talked to him. He was all set to get out of bed and come down here to see for himself." Dr. Hadley gave Sarah a quick smile before returning her concentration to the gauze.

"I…I don't know…" Sarah stopped talking as the curtain was pulled back. A man in a bad suit stood there, notebook in hand. Dr. Hadley looked up.

"Detective Graham," she said, "we were almost finished."

"I have a few questions for Ms. Kelly that can't wait," the man said, pulling the curtain closed behind him.

* * *

Sarah had just started to respond to the news that House had wanted to come see her for himself when the curtain surrounding the gurney was pulled back and Detective Graham came in. Thirteen glanced at him in annoyance.

"Detective Graham, we were almost finished," she told him. She wanted to take Sarah to House right away. She was certain that he wasn't going to go back to sleep until he'd seen her for himself and he needed the rest.

"I have a few questions for Ms. Kelly that can't' wait," he replied, pulling the curtain shut behind him.

"Ok," Sarah said.

"I need to know what happened this evening when Todd Jeffries came to your hotel room," the detective said.

"I… I opened the door without looking. It was stupid," Sarah said, and Thirteen could see tears in her eyes. "I… there was another man there looking for me and I thought it would be him. It was so stupid." A few tears spilled down her cheeks.

"What happened after you opened the door?" Graham asked. Thirteen found a box of tissues on a cart near the gurney and offered one to Sarah. Sarah crumpled it in her left hand.

"He… he put his hand over my mouth and grabbed my arm and pushed me inside. I… It was like I was watching myself. I couldn't think. We backed across the room until we reached the bed. He told me he'd followed someone from my apartment to the hotel. He said it was time I stopped playing hard to get. I think he was going to kiss me." Sarah shuddered and Thirteen put a hand on her shoulder. "I… I just snapped. I couldn't stand the thought of him touching me. I hit him."

"Where did you hit him?"

"I punched him, in the stomach I think, and I stomped on his foot and hit him in the nose."

"Then what?"

"He let go of me but he was between me and the door and I just wanted to get away. I grabbed a lamp, off the bedside table, and I hit him with it and he fell down and I ran." Sarah took a shaky breath, more tears sliding down her cheeks. "Please tell me he didn't get away."

"No, he didn't get away," Graham said. "Todd Jeffries is dead."


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: My Colts made it and so did I. Here's our next installment. I do not own House, blah blah blah. Remember - Pathetic Review Junkie here, so let me know what you think!**

"Todd Jeffries is dead." Sarah stared at the detective for a moment, trying to process what she'd just heard. Todd was dead? She felt something welling up inside of her and burst into hysterical laughter. The detective just stared at her. Dr. Hadley looked concerned.

"Sarah," she said quietly. "Sarah." Sarah choked back another laugh, putting her uninjured hand over her mouth. She could feel tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she said, gasping for air. "I… I'm sorry."

"You hit Mr. Jeffries over the head with the lamp," said the detective.

"Yes," Sarah said quietly, starting to feel sick. "Is that… is that what killed him?"

"Our medical examiner hasn't determined what killed him yet." Sarah felt her nausea increase. She was going to throw up. Dr. Hadley moved quickly, bringing over a basin just in time.

* * *

House was still sitting up in his bed. It was after 1:30 now but he still didn't want to go back to sleep until he'd seen Sarah. He didn't understand why Thirteen hadn't brought her up yet. What could be taking so long in the Emergency Room?

The door to his room slid open and he looked over to see Chase coming in, carrying Maggie. He brought the dog over to the bed and set her down beside House. Maggie promptly climbed into his lap, leaning on his chest. Her tail wagged sleepily and House put his arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. He caught the smile on Chase's face and scowled at him.

"Nurse Baker says you won't go back to sleep," Chase said. "I figured we could keep you company while you wait." Chase dropped into the visitor's chair.

"How'd you get the dog past her?" Maggie moved to lie down alongside House's right leg. The warmth felt good. He put his hand on her back.

"Ignored her and came in anyway." House smiled for a second before taking another look at the clock. What could be keeping Sarah and Thirteen? "I could go down to the Emergency Room, check on what's going on." Chase offered. He didn't wait for House to respond but got to his feet and started for the door.

"Thanks," House said quietly. Chase didn't look back; he just nodded as he went through the door.

* * *

Sarah retched for several minutes. Thirteen kept one hand on the basin and put her other on the woman's back, making small circles in an effort to soothe. Graham had backed away so that he stood against the curtain, looking green.

When Sarah finally stopped, Thirteen took the basin away and brought back the box of tissues from the cart. Sarah leaned back in the gurney, her eyes shut. Thirteen wiped off her mouth. She looked over at the detective.

"Are you done?" she demanded. She wanted to get Sarah some water to rinse out her mouth but she wasn't going to leave her alone with this man.

"You think that I killed him?" Sarah asked softly.

"I don't know what killed him," the detective said. "How did he seem when you saw him?"

"What do you mean how did he seem? He was attacking her. I don't think she had time to do an exam of him," Thirteen snapped.

"He was sweating, and shaking," Sarah said, her voice still quiet.

"We found a large quantity of drugs – amphetamines – on him and in his car," Graham said. Thirteen stared at him.

"That's it," she said. She snatched up the basin and moved toward the detective. He eyed the basin and took a half-step back. Thirteen kept moving straight toward him, the basin in front of her, until he backed out of the curtained area.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to divide his attention between Thirteen's face and the basin.

"You came in here and let that poor woman think that she'd killed him when all along you really thought it was a drug overdose?"

"I'm doing my job, Dr. Hadley. People's reactions to my questions tell me more than their answers."

"Even if getting hit with the lamp is what killed him, she was acting in self-defense. She's been hiding from that man for two days."

"We only have her word about what happened since Mr. Jeffries is dead."

"You have got to be kidding." Thirteen glared at him. "You saw her reaction." She shoved the basin at him and the detective took another step back, swallowing nervously.

"I'm just doing my job," he repeated.

"What's going on?" Chase came into view, approaching from behind the detective. He spotted the basin in Thirteen's hands. "Is Sarah alright?"

"She's in there," Thirteen jerked her head toward the curtained area. "I was just going to get her some water."

"Ok." Chase looked from Thirteen to the detective and back again. "I'll stay with her." Graham's cell phone rang and he moved away from them to answer it.

"The man who attacked House is dead," Thirteen said quietly. "Sarah hit him in the head with a lamp. She's pretty shaken up."

"Ok. House is still awake. He refuses to lie down until he's seen her."

"I'll be right back," Thirteen said. "Don't leave her alone with that jerk." She hurried off to dispose of the basin's contents and get Sarah some water.

* * *

House sat in his bed, watching the clock. It was almost 2 am. His eyes were burning and the lids felt heavy but he was determined to see Sarah. Beside him, Maggie slept. Nurse Baker had gone past the room and glared in through the glass wall but so far she hadn't tried to evict the dog. He had a sneaking suspicion that the nurse was actually afraid of the dog.

Maggie moved beside him, making little yelps as she dreamed. House put a hand on her and she stilled.

"I told you we'd find her," he murmured, petting the dog. "She's downstairs. They'll bring her up here soon. She's going to be ok." He thought about Sarah smashing a lamp over the psycho's head. He hoped the creep hadn't gotten away before the police got there. He looked at the clock again. It was now two minutes after the hour. What could be taking so long?

* * *

Sarah's head was spinning. Todd was dead and she might have killed him. There had been no witnesses to their struggle in the hotel room. The police only had her word about what had happened. Even in her near panic, the irony of the situation didn't escape her. She was finally free of the man who had menaced her for years, only to face the possibility of being locked up for his murder.

She could hear Dr. Hadley arguing with the detective outside the curtains surrounding her gurney. The doctor sounded outraged; the detective was calm. She could've made out their words if she'd tried, but she wasn't capable of that level of concentration right now. An Australian accent joined the discussion and a moment later the curtain moved aside as he came to join her.

"Hey," he said. "Thirteen's getting you some water. She'll be right back. Ok?" Sarah nodded, not trusting her voice. If she opened her mouth right now, she didn't know what would come out. She felt like she was on the verge of something but she wasn't sure if it was sobbing or more hysterical laughter. Dr. Chase stood near the foot of the gurney, trying to watch her without staring. He looks tired, she thought.

The curtain moved again and Dr. Hadley came in, carrying a paper cup. She brought it straight to Sarah.

"Here," she said, holding out the cup. Sarah swirled the water around in her mouth and spit it back out into the cup. It was a relief to get that taste out of her mouth.

"Thank you," Sarah said. They all started as the curtain moved and the detective came back. Sarah felt sick again and her heart-rate picked up. Dr. Hadley put a hand on her shoulder.

"I just spoke to the medical examiner. He completed his preliminary exam," Graham said.

"Did I… did I kill him?" Sarah asked.

"The preliminary exam suggests it was his heart. Considering the drugs we found, it's not surprising." The detective kept talking but Sarah didn't hear anything else that he said. All she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. I didn't kill him, she thought. I didn't kill him.

* * *

Sarah had gone pale when Detective Graham entered the curtained area and Thirteen had put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"I just spoke to the medical examiner," Graham told them. "He completed his preliminary exam." Thirteen wanted to hit him when he stopped talking. Was the man trying to be cruel?

"Did I… did I kill him?" Sarah asked, sounding very small.

"The preliminary exam suggests it was his heart. Considering the drugs we found, it's not surprising. We'll know more after the autopsy is completed of course."

"Do you have any more questions that she has to answer tonight?" Thirteen asked. She just wanted the detective to leave so she could take Sarah to House and then get them both to sleep.

"I guess not. I'll catch up with her tomorrow." Graham held out one of his cards and Chase took it.

"I'll make sure she has this," he said, taking the detective's arm and steering him away. Thirteen looked back to Sarah.

"Do you think you can stand?" she asked gently. The woman looked ready to collapse but she nodded, swinging her legs over the side of the gurney. Chase came back and stepped up on Sarah's other side, ready to offer support if needed.

"We can get you up to see House now," he said. Sarah went completely still and Thirteen gripped her elbow, afraid she was going to faint.

"I can't," Sarah whispered.

"Can't what?" Chase asked. "Should we get you a wheel chair?"

"I can't see him," Sarah said. "What would I say to him? He's hurt and that's all my fault. I can't."


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note: I do not own House. I gotta keep my day job. Drat! Ok, so I was sweating bullets writing this chapter because, AT LAST, Sarah and House are reunited and I knew there were big expectations for that scene. I hope you won't be disappointed. As always, read and review, please!**

"We can get you up to see House now," Dr. Chase said. Sarah froze. She thought she might faint and was relieved when she felt Dr. Hadley grip her elbow. How could she possibly face Greg? She had said awful things to him. He'd still tried to help her, taking care of her dog when she was too frightened to return to her apartment. And then he'd gotten hurt, been attacked by a maniac looking for her. No apology, or thank you, could possibly be adequate.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Can't what?" Dr. Chase asked. "Should we get you a wheel chair?"

"I can't see him," she said. "What would I say to him? He's hurt and that's all my fault. I can't." She shook her head. Dr. Hadley startled her by stepping in front of her and gripping both of her shoulders.

"That man has been frantic with worry about you," she said firmly. "You have to go up there and let him see that you are alright." Sarah shook her head, feeling tears streaming down her face.

"I said horrible things to him on Monday. He tried to help me and I pushed him away. I don't think I can face him…"

"Sarah, listen to me," Dr. Chase spoke softly. "House is sitting up there, waiting to see you. He isn't going to rest until he knows you're ok. All you have to do tonight is let him see you. He's not going to ask you a bunch of questions; he'll probably fall asleep as soon as he knows you're alright. In the morning, when you're both rested and feeling better, you can decide if you want to talk to him. Ok?"

"Ok," Sarah said.

* * *

House started when the door to his room opened. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He shot a glance at the clock and saw that it was 2:30. Thirteen approached his bed.

"Sarah's coming. She and Chase are just behind me. She's pretty shaken up so go easy on the questions, ok?" She didn't have a chance to say anything more because the door was opening. She stepped aside and House's eyes latched onto Sarah.

His first thought was that he didn't know a person who was still breathing could be so pale. His second thought was that she'd lost weight since Monday evening. There were dark shadows under her eyes, making them seem sunk into her face. House could see tear tracks on her cheeks. She came forward slowly, looking like a child who'd done something wrong and was about to be punished. He cursed his injuries and his bad leg. All he wanted to do was jump out of the bed and wrap his arms around her, hold her close and tell her that everything was going to be alright. A cynical voice in the back of his mind laughed at that – he didn't do meaningless platitudes - but he squashed it.

She looked at him finally and he could see tears in her eyes. He held out his hand to her and she crossed the remaining distance in three long strides, flinging herself against him. He wrapped his free arm around her, hating the sling that kept him from being able to use both arms. His ribs protested the pressure from Sarah's right arm but he didn't care. Maggie wiggled her way between them, tail wagging like crazy, and House wasn't sure how much of the moisture hitting his neck was from Sarah's tears and how much was from Maggie's tongue as she tried frantically to reach Sarah's face. He buried his hand in Sarah's hair.

"It's ok," he told her. "Everything's ok." Sarah moved her arm from House's left side, wrapping it around the dog, and the pain in his side eased. They stayed that way for several minutes, just clinging to one another, and then Sarah seemed to go limp. House tightened his grip even as Chase stepped up to steady her.

"She's exhausted," Thirteen said softly. "You both need to get some sleep."

"Take her home, and stay with her," House said.

"The patient…" Thirteen began, but he cut her off.

"The patient is fine," House said firmly. "Stay with her."

"We will," Chase told him. House reluctantly let go of Sarah and Chase kept an arm around her, steadying her. She looked like she might collapse. Thirteen moved to work the bed controls, laying House back down, before lifting Maggie off of the bed.

"Get some sleep," she told him. He nodded but he watched as the four of them left his room. He knew he needed to sleep but he couldn't help feeling a bit bereft, watching all of them leave together.

* * *

When House had put his arm around Sarah and told her that everything was ok, Thirteen had felt tears prick at her eyes. She'd wanted to leave the room, to give them some semblance of privacy, but Sarah had been unsteady on her feet and House was in no position to catch her. She'd stayed as far back as she could, trying not to watch them while still being ready to step up and catch Sarah. Chase was at her side. He clearly had the same things in mind.

She watched Sarah closely as they made their way out of the hospital. They'd stopped at House's office to collect Maggie's car carrier and to pick up House's keys, which Lucas had returned after Thirteen kicked him out of the ER. By the time they got Sarah down to Chase's car, she was practically sleep-walking.

At the apartment building, Chase got his arm around Sarah to keep her upright while Thirteen took the dog carrier and the keys. She fumbled through them, trying to find the right one for Sarah's front door. She hoped Lucas hadn't been too messy in his search earlier.

Thirteen was relieved to find that the apartment was still tidy. She would never have guessed that anyone had been there but Maggie dashed through the place, smelling everywhere the intruder had been. Sarah looked around, reaching out sleepily to straighten something here or there. Thirteen took her arm and guided her back to her bedroom, where she revived enough to change into pajamas. Once she was lying in the bed, the dog beside her, Thirteen returned to the living room, where Chase sat sleepily on the couch. She dropped down on the other end of the couch.

"She asleep?" he asked, yawning.

"Not yet," Thirteen replied. "We've got House's keys – you could go borrow his bed."

"I'll stay here," Chase said. "House was pretty emphatic that we stay with her."

"He's different around her," Thirteen said and Chase nodded.

"Less guarded." He stopped and they both turned as Sarah came into the living room, followed by Maggie.

"You should be sleeping," Thirteen told her.

"I can't. I… I just don't feel right here," she said quietly, looking around the living room. "That man, Lucas, didn't make a mess but it just feels… wrong."

"You want to go across the hall to House's apartment?" asked Chase.

* * *

Sarah couldn't sleep. She'd changed into her pajamas and lay in her bed. She closed her burning eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. Her apartment felt off somehow. All she could think of was that man, Lucas, going through all her things. She tossed and turned for a few minutes and knew that it was useless. Even though Lucas had been here to help, it still felt like a violation. She didn't feel secure here.

She got up and went out to the living room, finding Drs. Chase and Hadley on her couch. Maggie trailed behind her.

"You should be sleeping," Dr. Hadley chided.

"I can't," Sarah said. "I… I just don't feel right here. That man, Lucas, didn't make a mess but it just feels… wrong."

"You want to go across the hall to House's apartment?" asked Dr. Chase. Sarah wasn't sure she'd sleep any better there but she nodded. She gathered her slippers and the four of them made their way across the hall. Sarah climbed into Greg's bed, breathing in his scent and feeling more at ease. She pulled his pillow close to her, hugging it the way a child might hug a teddy bear. Within minutes she was fast asleep.


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: I don't own House, yadda, yadda, yadda. You know the drill. We're almost there - just a few more speed bumps remain.**

Sarah woke up feeling confused. She wasn't in her own bed and it took her a minute to remember coming across the hall to Greg's apartment. His pillow was still crushed up against her. Sunlight was streaming through the window and the clock showed that it was almost 10 am. She felt something bump against the side of the bed and looked down to see Maggie there, standing on her back legs with her tail wagging. It was awkward with her bandaged hand, but Sarah managed to scoop her up and spent a few minutes just hugging on her little dog. It was so good to hold her again.

She thought back to visiting Greg in his hospital room. She hadn't known what to say to him but it hadn't mattered. He'd just held her tight with his good arm and murmured reassurances to her. She knew she'd cried like a baby and hoped that she hadn't made too much of a fool of herself.

Todd is dead, she thought, going still. The police no longer thought that the blow to the head that she'd delivered was the cause and Sarah fervently hoped that was true. All she'd ever wanted was for him to leave her alone. The idea that he was gone, that he would never be back, was something she couldn't comprehend yet. She wondered how long it would take her to accept that he was truly gone.

Sarah's injured hand was itching and throbbing and her stomach was growling. She hadn't eaten regular meals for the last few days. She also wanted to take a shower. At some point, she needed to retrieve her things from the hotel, assuming that the police hadn't taken them. Her car also needed towed. Thinking of the two flat tires made her groan. She sat up in the bed, wincing as she put weight on her injured hand.

* * *

In spite of the late night, House woke up early. It was before 8 when he opened his eyes. Something felt off and he looked around, trying to identify what it was. He spotted someone standing outside the room, staring through the glass wall at him. It was Wilson. Their eyes met for a moment before Wilson turned away. He strode off and House watched him go.

House looked back to the ceiling. For some reason, seeing Wilson walking away didn't bother him. There was only one person that he really wanted to see right now and that was Sarah. He told himself to be patient; she was hopefully still sleeping. He closed his eyes, intending to go back to sleep himself.

House dozed off and on throughout the morning. He thought he caught a glimpse of Wilson retreating out in the hallway once more but he couldn't be sure. No one else came to see him.

* * *

When Sarah came out into Greg's living room, she found Dr. Hadley curled up in a chair. Dr. Chase was stretched out on the couch, snoring softly.

Dr. Hadley opened her eyes as Sarah came even with the couch.

"Morning," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than last night," Sarah said. "You didn't have to stay…"

"Yeah, we did," Dr. Hadley said.

"I think I'm going to go back to my place. I need to feed Maggie and I want to take a shower."

"The dog got up a couple of hours ago. I took her out and got her some food. C'mon, we'll put a bag around your hand to keep it dry. How's it feeling?"

"It itches and it's sore," Sarah said.

"When we get to the hospital, I'll take the bandage off."

They'd gone across the hall and Dr. Hadley had taped a plastic bag around Sarah's injured hand. Showering with a bag on one hand wasn't easy but Sarah felt more human when she got out of the tub.

When she came back out to the living room, she found that Dr. Chase had joined them. He was sitting on the floor, playing with Maggie, while Dr. Hadley sat on the couch. They both smiled when they saw her.

"Morning," Dr. Chase said.

"Thank you," Sarah said. "I really appreciate you staying with me. Both of you."

"We should get back to the hospital," Dr. Hadley said. "We can take a look at your hand and check on House."

"I… ok." Sarah looked at her dog. How could she explain that she didn't want to leave Maggie behind?

"Want to sneak Maggie in to visit House?" Dr. Chase asked, getting up from the floor. Sarah nodded.

"I think he'd like that," Dr. Hadley said, smiling.

* * *

Thirteen heard the water start for Sarah's shower and then the apartment door opened. Chase came in, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How is she this morning?" he asked.

"She's not as shaky as she was last night. The dog seems nervous though. I had a hard time getting her to go with me this morning. She's sitting outside the bathroom door right now." Chase moved down the hall and came back a second later with Maggie.

"Let's play," he said to her, finding a toy in a box under an end table. He coaxed the dog into playing tug-of-war with him. Thirteen dropped onto the couch.

When Sarah came out to the living room, she looked nervous. She smiled for a second when she saw Chase playing with Maggie.

"Morning," Chase said.

"Thank you. I really appreciate you staying with me. Both of you." Sarah gave Thirteen a tense smile.

"We should get you back to the hospital. We can take a look at your hand and check on House," Thirteen said. Sarah nodded, her eyes back on Maggie.

"Want to sneak Maggie in to visit House?" Chase asked, getting up from the floor. Sarah nodded.

"I think he'd like that," Thirteen said, smiling.

They'd made the drive to the hospital in silence but once they got out of the car, Maggie started to squeak and dig at the door to the carrier.

"I think she needs to do something," Sarah said.

"I'll take her. Go on in and see House," Chase said. Sarah hesitated. Thirteen put a hand on her arm.

"They won't be long," she said. "C'mon, let's go and see House."

* * *

It was after 11 when House came fully awake. His stomach was rumbling and his teeth felt fuzzy. He hit the call button to summon a nurse so that he could brush his teeth and get something to eat. Once that was done, he sat in his bed, watching the clock. He was growing more and more impatient to see Sarah. He wanted to know what had happened. She'd smashed a lamp over the creep's head. Was he in jail or had he escaped from the police? Once again he reminded himself to be patient. Thirteen had told him to go easy on the questions. As hard as it was going to be, he would have to wait and let Sarah tell him what happened when she was ready. Right now he just wanted to see her again.

The door to House's room slid open and he looked over to see Cuddy walking toward him. She froze when she saw him looking at her.

"I thought you'd be asleep," she said, coming to stand by his bed.

"Then why did you come?" Cuddy seemed flustered by his wakefulness.

"Lucas said he found your friend. Did you get to see her?"

"Briefly," House said. Cuddy nodded, looking away from him for a moment.

"House," she said finally, looking back to him. "What do you really know about this woman?"

"Don't," House said, feeling his temper flare.

"I'm just concern…"

"Stop," House said firmly.

"House…"

"You have no right to pry into this. It isn't hospital business."

"You were attacked in the hospital. I just want to make sure that this woman doesn't have any other exes who are going to come in here…"

"He wasn't my ex." Sarah's voice startled them both. Neither of them had heard the door to the room open.


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Note: I know you know that I don't own House but I gotta tell you that anyway. Lawsuits are scary. I said there were a few speed-bumps left. We're about to get over one of them.**

Thirteen had started to take Sarah to the diagnostics office, intending to get some supplies and take a look at her hand. Sarah has surprised her by asking if she could go see House first. Thirteen had nodded and chosen that floor in the elevator instead.

When they reached House's room, they could see Cuddy inside, talking to House. They were obviously arguing and Sarah hesitated for a second before opening the door.

"You have no right to pry into this. It isn't hospital business." Thirteen didn't think she'd ever heard House sound so furious before. He was glaring at Cuddy and neither of them had reacted to the door opening. Thirteen didn't think they were aware of Sarah's presence.

"You were attacked in the hospital," Cuddy said, sounding angry. Thirteen could picture the glare on her face. "I just want to make sure that this woman doesn't have any other exes who are going to come in here…"

"He wasn't my ex." House and Cuddy both started at Sarah's voice. Cuddy whirled to face her. House looked embarrassed. He stared at Sarah too. Thirteen wanted to leave, to give them privacy, but she couldn't think of a way to get Cuddy to go too. Sarah moved forward until she was standing at the foot of House's bed. Thirteen stayed where she was, half-way between the door and the bed.

"If he wasn't your ex, then who was he?" Cuddy demanded, and Thirteen cringed. This was a conversation that Sarah and House should have on their own.

"He was…" Sarah stopped. "We went out twice, ok? We weren't dating, there was no relationship."

"Cuddy, get out," House said.

"It doesn't matter," Sarah said. Her shoulders were slumped. She picked at the edge of House's blanket, not looking at anyone. "We both worked for the public library. When I was in college I worked at the main library. He worked at our audio-visual branch and sometimes I would stop there to get a movie. I like old movies and they had a pretty good collection. It was just a little store-front branch and he'd be across the room re-shelving cds or something when I'd come in. By the time I'd picked out my video, he'd be at the counter, ready to check me out. Even if there were other people working too, he'd be the one who checked me out. I thought it was sweet – he was cute and he had a little crush on me – but nothing ever came of it." Thirteen caught a glimpse of Chase in the hallway and shook her head at him. He took in the scene through the glass wall and retreated, taking Maggie with him. "When I graduated, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I couldn't get on full-time at the library and I wound up working in an office supply store. Todd came in one day – it was when one of the new Windows systems was released, and we had a huge bundle of software that came with it. You had to ring in all the software and then you had to key in a bunch of coupons to make it free – each transaction took forever. He came through my line and we chatted while I was doing all that. I had been thinking about going to library school and we talked about that." Sarah was still picking at the blanket, obviously embarrassed. Thirteen considered physically dragging Cuddy away. House was looking appalled. Thirteen didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Cuddy, get out." House wished he could shove Cuddy out of the room, or that Thirteen would drag her away.

"It doesn't matter," Sarah said. She was standing at the foot of his bed, picking at his blanket. House wanted everyone else to get out of the room. She didn't need an audience for this. She went on with her story, ignoring the rest of them. She'd met the creep – Todd – when they both worked for the public library. At the time she thought the man had a crush on her and was harmless. They'd run in to each other again after she'd left the library and he'd called to ask her out. On their second date, he'd told her that he was living with someone else. Sarah had told him that he needed to figure out if that relationship was over and end it before he tried to start another one. He'd responded by calling her the next day, telling her that he was leaving the girlfriend and moving to Bloomington (where Sarah was going at the end of the summer) and wanted to get into library school too. He wanted Sarah to help him pick out an apartment there. She'd refused. The next day a dozen red roses were delivered to her at work. He'd come in to the store but Sarah had hidden in one of the offices until he left. He continued to come in looking for her off and on through the summer. He also called her home and sent her emails. She had avoided him and ignored his messages, hoping he'd realize that she wasn't interested in him and leave her alone.

When she'd moved to Bloomington to start library school, she'd found that, despite numerous calls she'd made over the summer asking that her information be unlisted, the university had posted her address and phone number to the internet. Todd had started calling her right away. He called her off and on during the first semester of classes, and during the second semester he turned up in her classes. Eventually she stopped attending classes.

"He got caught in a professor's office, going through her files. She happened to be my advisor. I found out about it when I spoke to the assistant dean about making up some of my classes. I hadn't done well that semester and I was in danger of flunking out. Other students complained about him too but the dean told him that if he did one more thing, he'd kick him out." Sarah gave a nervous laugh. "The assistant dean shouldn't have told me any of that but she was retiring that year and I think she was just furious about the whole situation. Anyway, she got professors to agree to let me retake some classes, but he was still there. He kept trying to get me to respond to him during class discussions. I wound up dropping out and going back home. I started seeing a counselor but he was useless. He found the whole situation fascinating but he couldn't tell me anything that I could do to help myself. He said that Todd was interpreting everything I said and did as some kind of secret message to him. It scared the hell out of me because it sounded like there wasn't any way I could convince Todd that I didn't want anything to do with him." Sarah went on, explaining how Todd had turned up in town a few months later. He'd shown up at her job. She left one job only to have him show up at the next. It went on for over a year. When he turned up at her apartment complex, she went to court to try to get a restraining order against him. The judge had thought she was "over-reacting" but issued an order, requiring Todd to remain at least 50 feet away from her. It didn't make Sarah feel any safer. Now Todd watched her from 50 feet away. The apartment management company agreed to let Sarah out of her lease if she moved into a different complex that they managed.

"I switched jobs at the same time. I guess Todd got frustrated when he couldn't find me right away. I had a few months of peace before he broke in to the management company's office. He got into their file cabinets and took a computer. I know he was there to try to find out where I was but there was no proof of that. He got six years for burglary. I thought that things were finally over when he went to jail, but then I started getting letters from him. When I heard he was up for parole, I knew I couldn't stay there. I moved here." Sarah looked up at him for the first time and he could see tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry." House wished she would come closer, but Cuddy was in the way, standing at his side. When he looked over at Cuddy, he found that she was staring at Sarah, her face full of pity.

"Cuddy, get out," he snarled. She stared at him for a second and then nodded. Thirteen went with her. Once the door was closed, House looked back to Sarah.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he said.

"I should have told you this sooner, given you a chance to walk away…"

"Why would I walk away? This isn't your fault." She was still down at the foot of his bed. He reached out his free hand to her, but she stayed where she was.

"I keep thinking that I should've done something differently."

"You didn't do anything wrong," House said. "The guy was crazy."

"Yeah," Sarah wiped away a few tears. "I still should've told you."

* * *

"You have nothing to apologize for," Greg said and Sarah almost laughed. He was lying in a hospital bed, because of her, and he didn't think she owed him an apology? This was her fault.

"I should've told you this sooner, given you a chance to walk away…"

"Why would I walk away? This isn't your fault." Sarah stared at him. He held out his hand to her but she didn't move. She'd dated a few men since Todd. He'd scared off two of them. She'd tried telling the third about him herself, a sort of preemptive strike, but he'd gotten this skeptical look on his face. He kept questioning her over and over again about her "relationship" with Todd and couldn't seem to accept that it really had been just the two dates.

"I keep thinking that I should've done something differently."

"You didn't do anything wrong. The guy was crazy."

"Yeah. I still should've told you."

"Come here," Greg said, holding out his hand again. This time Sarah reached out to take it and he pulled her to him, putting his arm around her. "I wouldn't have walked away."

* * *

Once Thirteen was sure that Cuddy was really leaving, she'd gone down to the office. Chase was in the conference room, sitting on the floor outside of House's office, playing with Maggie. He had House's tennis ball and was tossing it down the length of the room for the dog to chase.

"You're getting dog slobber on House's ball," Thirteen said as she came in. Chase looked up at her, smirking, and they both burst out laughing. Thirteen dropped down beside Chase. She couldn't seem to stop laughing.

"You're slap-happy," Chase told her.

"Yeah." She wiped away tears from her eyes. "It was pretty tense up there. I thought House was going to kill Cuddy. She just wouldn't leave."

"I don't understand her. House has walked away and left her alone with Lucas, and now she won't leave him alone."

"I don't think she thought he'd move on," Thirteen said. This conversation was sobering her fast.

"She's disappointed that he isn't trying to break her and Lucas up? That's crazy."

"Yep." They sat together quietly after that, Chase continuing to toss the ball for the dog.

* * *

Sarah was lying beside House on the hospital bed. He had moved over as far as he could so that she could fit next to him. He had his good arm around her and her head was on his shoulder. She'd told him what had happened the night before at her hotel and that Todd was dead. House had felt his temper flare when she described the detective's questioning. She'd broke down into tears and that was when he had moved over to let her climb in beside him. She'd finished her story there, telling him how Graham had come back to tell her that they thought Todd overdosed on amphetamines and how Thirteen and Chase had convinced her to come up here.

She was quiet now, her breathing slow and regular, and House thought she'd fallen asleep. He wished for the umpteenth time that his left arm wasn't in a sling. He wanted to move her hair aside where it had fallen over her face .

Movement outside his room caught his eye and he looked over to see Wilson staring through the glass at him. His arm tightened around Sarah as he met Wilson's gaze. They stared at each other for a minute and then Wilson walked away.

"Mm." Sarah stirred and House looked back at her, Wilson forgotten. She moved her hair out of her face and tilted her head to look at him. "I'm sorry. I guess I fell asleep."

"It's ok." She looked down again and he could see that she was bracing herself for something.

"I was horrible to you Monday night," she said.

"We both made mistakes Monday night," House said. "I should've backed off when you said you didn't want to talk." They were both quiet for a minute after that. House had a question he wanted to ask but he was afraid to push her again.

"I was actually relieved when you didn't ask me about myself at first," Sarah said. "It let me pretend the whole thing with Todd didn't matter." House took a deep breath and asked his question.

"Why did you think that I would walk away if you told me about him?"

"I… I told one guy, once. I'd dated a couple of guys after Todd but he scared them away – sent letters and made phone calls I think. I really liked this guy and I decided that I was going to tell him before Todd could." House waited, letting her take her time, but he had to bite his tongue at the next thing she said. "He didn't believe me. I explained that I'd only gone out with Todd twice but he said that didn't make any sense. He was convinced that there was more to it and he kept asking me. I blew up. I told him that the whole 'relationship' had been two dates and two kisses and that if he didn't believe me he could just get the hell away from me. He left. He said there was no way a guy would chase me like that if all I'd done was kiss him." Sarah stopped talking and they were both silent for a minute.

"That guy was an idiot," House said finally. "You're a great kisser." Sarah made a sound and for a second he was afraid that she was crying. He was about to panic when he realized that she was laughing.


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry I didn't get this up yesterday. This whole story pretty much arrived fully-formed in my head and I've been writing out a chapter per day but everything got derailed yesterday and then my Colts tried to give me a heart attack! Anyway, here is what I believe will be the next-to-last chapter of our story (the story arrived fully-formed but that doesn't mean that my characters don't occasionally surprise me by doing something I didn't expect). As always, I do not own House and it bums me out. Cheer me up by reviewing, would you?**

Sarah would have been content to stay where she was, lying beside Greg in his bed with his arm around her, for hours. Unfortunately, her full bladder and empty stomach protested. Once she was up, she realized all the things she needed to do yet today. She needed to find out if she could get her things back from the police, retrieve them if she could, get her car towed, purchase new tires, and see if she still had a job at the University. Greg listened patiently as she outlined all these tasks. When she finished he'd nodded.

"Will you come back this evening?" he asked and she'd smiled, feeling almost giddy with relief. He still wanted her around.

"Of course," she said. She looked longingly at the spot in the bed that she'd occupied, wishing she could just return there, before making her way down to the diagnostics office.

* * *

Thirteen and Chase were still sitting on the floor in the conference room. Maggie had given up chasing the ball and was sitting on Chase's lap, watching her surroundings. Thirteen swallowed a yawn; her night in House's chair was catching up with her.

She shifted on the floor, trying to find a comfortable spot and wound up with her shoulder touching Chase's. He didn't pull away. Thirteen glanced over at him and saw that he was staring off into space. He still looked tired and she thought about suggesting that he move to House's chair and take a nap. The feeling of his shoulder up against hers was starting to dominate everything else – the ache in her rear from sitting on the floor, the chill from the glass wall in her back, and the burning of her tired eyes.

Maggie's ears perked up and she jumped off of Chase's lap. A second later Sarah came into view, walking toward the conference room door. Thirteen sprang up to keep the dog from running through the door as Sarah opened it, Chase's shoulder forgotten.

"Everything ok?" she asked and Sarah nodded.

"Everything's good," she said, smiling. She moved to a chair at the conference table and sat down. Maggie jumped into her lap.

"We need to take a look at your hand," Chase said, getting slowly to his feet.

"I need to call Detective Graham," Sarah said. "I want to get my things back from the hotel and then I've got to get my car towed, buy some tires, and I should call the University and find out if I still have a job." Her stomach gave a loud rumble and she flushed.

"Sounds like you should have lunch first," Thirteen said.

* * *

House watched Sarah go reluctantly. She had said she would come back but a part of him was afraid that she was going to take off again. He told himself that he was being foolish; she had no reason to run now. Her stalker was gone and she was safe.

Sarah had been gone for about ten minutes when the door to the room slid open. House looked over to see Cuddy coming in. His temper flared remembering her earlier behavior. She hesitated, seeing his scowl, but then came the rest of the way over to the bed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I…"

"You owe _her_ the apology," he said.

"I know, but I owe you one as well. I… I haven't been fair to you." House just looked at her, not saying anything, and watched the flush crawl up her face. "I apologize, House." She waited a minute and turned to go when he didn't say anything. She made it to the door before House spoke.

"Tell Lucas I appreciate his help," he said. Cuddy looked back at him and nodded before leaving the room. It was as close to accepting her apology as he could come.

* * *

Sarah went with Dr. Chase to take Maggie outside while Dr. Hadley went to the cafeteria to get them food. Sarah walked Maggie around a small patch of lawn while Dr. Chase leaned against the building, watching.

They ate lunch in the conference room. They were part-way through the meal when Greg's other two fellows, the bald black man and the short balding man, came in. Dr. Hadley made introductions as Dr. Foreman glowered at them. Dr. Taub smiled at her and dropped into the chair beside hers.

"So you and House are…." He arched a brow at her and Sarah felt herself flush.

"She's his dance instructor," Dr. Chase said.

"We're friends," Sarah said, flustered by the man's curiosity. Was she the first person to ever visit Greg at his job?

"I'm going to lunch," Dr. Foreman announced, starting for the door. He paused and looked back at Sarah. "I'm glad you're alright." Sarah watched him walk out before turning back to the others.

"Foreman always knows how to pour on the charm," Dr. Chase said drily. He wadded up his napkin and put it into the container his sandwich had come in before standing up. "I'm going to go get the supplies for your hand."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of activity for Sarah. Dr. Taub looked at her hand and told her that he thought there'd be very little scarring. She called Detective Graham and found out that she could get her things from the hotel back. Dr. Hadley drove her to the police station while Dr. Chase took Maggie to see Greg. Then it was off to a tire shop where she purchased new tires and arranged for her car to be towed. Finally, Dr. Hadley drove her to the University, dropping her off in front of the history department's building.

Sarah was able to speak with the department chair, giving him a condensed account of the events of the past two days. Much to her relief, he was sympathetic and agreed to let her use vacation days for the time she had missed so far and for Friday as well. She agreed to return to work on Monday.

* * *

It was after 5 when Thirteen returned to the hospital with Sarah. Sarah had told her that her job was safe and then sank back (as far back as one could in the small cab of the SmartCar anyway) in the seat. She looked tired after what had been a busy afternoon.

They started across the parking lot toward the hospital and Sarah spoke up.

"Thank you for your help today, Dr. Hadley," she said.

"Please, call me Remy, or Thirteen if you like," Thirteen said.

"Greg never told me how you got that nickname," Sarah said. Thirteen looked at her, wondering what she should say. How could she tell this story without making House look like a jerk, or worse?

"When House was selecting his fellowship team a few years ago, he had about 40 applicants. He decided that the best way to choose a team was to put all of us to work and see who did the best job. He gave us numbers and mine just … stuck." Thirteen watched Sarah carefully out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge her reaction. She was so busy trying to judge Sarah's reaction that she didn't see Cuddy approaching until it was too late.

"Ms. Kelly, I wonder if I could speak with you for a moment," the older woman said. Sarah looked startled but nodded her consent.

"Ok." Cuddy started to lead Sarah to her office and Thirteen followed for a few steps.

"Dr. Hadley, I would like to speak with Ms. Kelly privately," Cuddy said. Thirteen looked to Sarah.

"It's alright," she said. "Will you please tell Greg that I'll be up in a few minutes?" Sarah turned to go with Cuddy and Thirteen stared after them. She wasn't sure that telling House about this meeting was a good idea.

* * *

House had dozed off and on throughout the day. Chase had come by with Maggie for a visit in the late afternoon. He told House that Sarah was with Thirteen, taking care of her car and getting her things. House had nodded, petting Maggie and trying to keep anxiety at bay. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong even though everything seemed to be ok.

Chase was in the visitor's chair and Maggie was on the bed when Thirteen came in. House muted "Family Guy" on the tv and looked at her expectantly. She looked worried and House felt his anxiety ramp up.

"Where's Sarah?" he demanded.

"She said to tell you she'll be up in a few minutes."

"Is she ok?"

"She's with Cuddy," Thirteen admitted.

"What?" House sat up straighter, ignoring a sharp spike of pain from his ribs.

"She stopped us in the lobby and asked Sarah if she could speak to her." House started to swing his legs over the side of the bed but Chase stood up to stop him.

"Take it easy," he cautioned. "She can handle Cuddy." House scowled at him.

"If she's not here in 10 minutes…"

"If she's not here in 10 minutes, I will go get her," Thirteen said.

* * *

Sarah followed the older woman through a waiting area and into a large office. She hesitated inside the door, watching as Dr. Cuddy walked around to stand behind her desk.

"Please, have a seat," Dr. Cuddy said, gesturing to one of the two visitor's chairs in front of her desk. Sarah moved forward slowly, coming to a stop behind one of the chairs.

"I want to get upstairs to see Greg," she said. "Can we keep this brief?"

"Of course." Dr. Cuddy smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. What's going on here, Sarah wondered. She wished that she hadn't agreed to speak with this woman after all.

"I wanted to apologize to you," Dr. Cuddy said stiffly. "For this morning."

"Ok." Sarah didn't know what else to say. The apology didn't seem sincere and she couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on here.

"House is a very important doctor at this hospital…" Something snapped in Sarah at that moment. She didn't want to play this game. She was tired and hungry and just wanted to get upstairs to see Greg.

"We both know that's not what you were concerned about," she said.

"His reputation is tied to this hospital's reputation…"

"So you question all your 'important' doctors about their friends' love lives?" Sarah let all her skepticism come through and Dr. Cuddy blushed. Sarah turned on her heel and left.


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Note: This is it - the final chapter. It's been quite a ride and I'm sad to see it end. However, several ideas for a sequel are bouncing 'round my brain. I'm going to let them percolate and see what I come up with because, frankly, I will miss writing about House and Sarah and hearing from all of you. Thanks a million to everyone who read and especially to those of you who signed up for alerts and sent in reviews. I am still stunned by the enthusiastic response and I really appreciate it. As always, I do not own House.**

House had been about to get out the bed, Chase or no Chase, when Sarah arrived. Her face was flushed and her eyes were flashing. House froze, watching her stalk into the room.

"Everything ok?" Chase asked when she didn't say anything.

"That woman…" Sarah began, then she shook her head. "Everything's fine and I'm not going to let her try to ruin that. Thank you so much for taking care of Maggie today. I think she would've been a nervous wreck if I'd left her alone in my apartment."

"Glad I could help," Chase said.

"We're going to go and get some dinner," Thirteen said. "We'll bring you back something." She caught Chase's arm and pulled him from the room. House watched them go before looking back to Sarah.

"So…" he began.

"Well…" she started. They both stopped.

"This is getting to be a habit," Sarah said. "Why don't you go first?"

"Did you get everything done from your list?" House scooted over on his bed to make room for Sarah.

"I did. I've got my things back, my car's being towed to a shop where new tires will be installed, and I talked to my boss." Sarah came over and took a seat on the bed next to him, dropping her purse into the visitor's chair. He felt himself relax a bit; he'd wanted her here all afternoon.

"And?" House knew that Sarah had been particularly anxious about her job. Calling in to let them know she wouldn't be there had been the last thing on her mind the past few days.

"I still have my job. He was very understanding, actually." Sarah sounded surprised. "He suggested that I take tomorrow off and come back on Monday."

"They're releasing me tomorrow," he said.

"That's good. I…" A noise interrupted them. It took House a second to recognize it. It sounded like the red-alert alarm from "Star Trek." Sarah jumped up and dug into her purse. She pulled out her cell phone.

"Hi, Mom," she said. House could hear the woman's voice on the other end though he couldn't make out what was being said. "Yes, Mom, he's dead…. I'm fine…. Really…. Mom, I can't just leave. I have a job here for one thing…. Mom…. Mom, I…. I'll call you later, Mom…. Actually, I'm with a friend right now…. I'll call you later. Good-bye, Mom…. Good-bye." Sarah ended the call, sighing. She dropped back onto the bed beside him. House felt the anxiety he'd been fighting all day return.

* * *

The cell phone's ring interrupted her conversation with Greg. Sarah recognized the ring-tone; it was the one she used for her mother.

"Hi Mom." Sarah's hopes of keeping the conversation brief were dashed by the next thing out of her mother's mouth.

"Sarah, I just saw on the news that Todd Jeffries was found dead."

"Yes, he's dead."

"It said he was found in a hotel near Princeton. Did you know he was there? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

"Really."

"I don't know how he managed to find you out there. I told you I didn't think moving away was a good idea. Your father and I think you should come home now."

"Mom, I can't just leave. I have a job here for one thing."

"You can get your old job back with the temp agency. You only left to get away from him and he's…"

"Mom…"

"…gone now so you don't have to stay there."

"Mom, I…"

"We'll clean out your old room for you and you can stay here until you can find a place of your own."

"I'll call you later, Mom."

"You're all by yourself there. All your friends are here."

"Actually, I'm with a friend right now…"

"What friend?"

"I'll call you later. Good-bye, Mom."

"What friend?"

"Good-bye." Sarah hung up the phone and sighed. She dropped back onto the bed beside Greg. She should've known her mother would waste no time in trying to get her home. Until a few days ago she would've agreed that going home was exactly what she wanted but now she wasn't so sure. Aside from wanting to escape from Todd, moving to Princeton had given her a chance to truly be independent. She loved her family, but sometimes she felt smothered by them at home and that was when she had her own apartment. She didn't think she could live in the same house as her mother without wanting to kill her. Greg put his hand on her arm and Sarah looked over at him wondering how much of the call he'd heard.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah. She thinks I should move back home, now that Todd is gone."

"Oh." Sarah looked over to see that Greg was looking down. His face was still but there was a lot going on behind his eyes.

"I'm not going," she said and his head jerked up. A smile spread across his face and he put his arm around her.

"I'm glad," he said and Sarah smiled, thinking, so am I.

* * *

When Chase and Thirteen returned from their dinner run, they spotted Sarah and House reclining on the bed together. Maggie was between their legs and House had his arm around Sarah. Her head was on his shoulder. Chase and Thirteen both came to a stop a few feet from the room.

"I think we should go," Thirteen said.

"What if they're hungry?" Chase asked. "We said we'd bring back dinner." He started forward again and Thirteen grabbed at his arm. Their movement must have caught someone's attention because Sarah hopped off the bed and came to open the door.

"What have you got?" she asked them. "We're starving."

* * *

Sarah was up early the next morning. Chase, as he'd asked her to call him, and Remy had taken her and Maggie home shortly after 8. She'd gone through her apartment, straightening a few things that the detective, Lucas, had disturbed, before getting ready for bed. This time she had no trouble falling asleep.

Greg had said it would be mid-morning before he'd be ready to leave the hospital. He had to complete his discharge paperwork and a physical therapist was supposed to go over some exercises that he could do while his collar-bone was recovering. He was going to be in a sling for at least 3-4 weeks, and there would be more therapy after that. He'd grumbled about it and Sarah was afraid that if she showed up too early, he'd simply leave the hospital without getting the information.

She did a couple loads of laundry and finished putting her apartment back in order before heading outside. Greg's car was outside; Remy had followed Chase with it last night and Sarah had Greg's keys.

Sarah reached the hospital shortly after 10 and made her way inside. When she entered the lobby, she looked around cautiously. She didn't want another confrontation with Dr. Cuddy. She made it to the elevators without seeing the older woman and pushed the button to summon a car. She looked back at the lobby as she waited and her eyes went up to the second floor balcony. A man was standing there, watching her. Sarah couldn't swear to it but she thought it was the same man she had seen standing there with Dr. Cuddy the previous week. He flushed when she met his eyes and turned away. He looks sad, Sarah thought. The elevator chimed behind her and her thoughts turned to Greg as she stepped inside and hit the button for his floor.

* * *

House was ready to go home. He'd woken up early and demanded his discharge papers first thing. The nurses had rolled their eyes. One of them reminded him that he didn't have a shirt to wear home; the one he'd been wearing on Wednesday had been cut off of him in the ER. Now he was sitting on his bed, clad in jeans and a hospital gown, waiting for the physical therapist.

Getting dressed had been awkward and painful. He couldn't use his left arm as it was in a sling, but not using it hadn't stopped it from hurting every time he moved. His ribs were also sore. His feet were still bare; bending over to pull on socks and shoes had seemed an impossible task.

He was studying his bare feet when the door to his room slid open. He looked up to see Sarah coming in. She smiled at him.

"That's a great look," she said.

"They cut my shirt off in the ER," he said. "It was one of my favorites too."

"I'm sure we can find something for you," Sarah replied, coming forward and picking up his socks from the bed. She knelt and started pulling them on. House felt himself blush. "So, has the physical therapist been by yet?" She moved on to the shoes.

"Not yet," House said.

"Too tight?" Sarah asked as she tied the shoes.

"Fine," he said. She nodded and stood up.

"I don't see your cane."

"I think the nurses hid it – afraid I'd try to make an escape."

"I can ask about it when I go find…" The door to the room opened and Sarah turned, giving House a view of Cuddy coming in. She was carrying his cane and a pharmacy bag in one hand, and another bag in the other. She stopped when she saw Sarah.

"I brought you a shirt," she said, holding out one of the bags. Sarah stepped forward to get it.

"Thanks," she said, collecting the bag and House's cane. She brought them both back to him and Cuddy came the rest of the way to the bed. Sarah took the shirt out of the bag and House frowned. It was a duplicate of the t-shirt he'd been wearing on Wednesday. He wondered how Cuddy had managed to find one so quickly and how much it had cost her. Vintage rock band t-shirts didn't come cheap.

"I've got your medication here," Cuddy said, putting the pharmacy bag down on the bed. "It's prescription strength ibuprofen. Make sure you take it with food."

"I am a doctor too you know."

"Well, I think you're all set," Cuddy said, ignoring his remark.

"His physical therapist hasn't been by yet," Sarah protested.

"I'll see if I can find out what's keeping her," Cuddy said.

* * *

Greg had been surprised by the t-shirt Dr. Cuddy brought him. Sarah looked at it and realized that it wasn't something from the hospital gift shop. She looked over at Dr. Cuddy as the woman told Greg about his medication.

"I am a doctor to you know," he'd replied when she'd cautioned him about taking it with food. His tone was the same sarcastic one Sarah had heard him use with his fellows. Dr. Cuddy didn't seem surprised by his response; she ignored his remark and went on.

"Well, I think you're all set."

"His physical therapist hasn't been by yet," Sarah said quickly. Greg grimaced at her and she shook her head at him.

"I'll see if I can find out what's keeping her," Dr. Cuddy said. She left to go find the therapist and Sarah unfolded Greg's new t-shirt.

"A button-front might have been a better choice," she said, looking at Greg's arm. He started to ease the sling off and his face went gray.

"Maybe the therapist can help you with this," Sarah suggested.

"It's ok," he said between clenched teeth. "It's going to hurt no matter who's helping."

By the time they managed to get the shirt on, Greg was panting. The door to the room opened and Dr. Cuddy came in with another woman.

"I'll get that sling," the other woman said, moving forward quickly. Sarah stepped back, coming to stand beside Dr. Cuddy while the other woman helped Greg with his sling and then began to review some exercises with him.

"I hope you know what you're in for," Dr. Cuddy said quietly. Sarah looked over to see the woman turn on her heel and leave.

* * *

By the time they got to Baker Street, House was exhausted and his shoulder was hurting. Sarah had driven carefully but each bump in the road had made the pain worse. He wanted to take his medicine and go to sleep, but he had to eat first.

He followed Sarah into her apartment, heading straight for the couch. Maggie met him there. He stroked her absently as Sarah went in to the kitchen to start lunch. He thought about the next 4 weeks, trapped in the sling. It looked like he was going to have to go back to car-pooling.

After lunch, House took one of his pills and returned to the couch. Sarah wheeled over one of the ottomans so that he could put his feet up. Before long, he fell asleep. He dozed off and on throughout the afternoon. Sarah moved about quietly for a while before coming to sit beside him.

When House woke up, Sarah was still beside him. A movie was playing quietly on the tv and his arm was around her. He looked over and found that her face was just inches from his. She smiled, leaning forward to meet him.

Their lips had just connected when Maggie began to bark. Sarah pulled back and House gave an exasperated sigh.

"This happens every time," he said.

"It's only happened twice," Sarah said, getting up to go to the door. House could hear a faint knocking from out in the hallway.

"We've only done this twice," he retorted. "That would be _every_ time."

"There's someone at your door, again," Sarah replied.

* * *

Greg was sleeping on the couch beside her, his arm around her. Sarah had put in a movie but she wasn't paying much attention to it. She was too aware of the man beside her. He stirred and she looked over to see his eyes opening. He looked over at her and smiled slowly. She leaned forward to meet him for a kiss.

She had just lifted her hand to his cheek when Maggie began to bark. She drew back reluctantly and heard him sigh.

"This happens every time," he said, sounding frustrated.

"It's only happened twice," Sarah replied, getting up to go to the door. Someone was knocking on a door out in the hallway.

"We've only done this twice," Greg retorted. "That would be _every_ time." Sarah bit back a chuckle.

"There's someone at your door, again," Sarah said, looking through her peephole. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "Are you looking for Greg?" The man turned and she recognized the man she'd seen on the second story balcony at the hospital.

"Yes. I'm, uh, James Wilson. His friend."

"He's in here," Sarah said, opening her door wider. Dr. Wilson hesitated a second before crossing the hallway.

"I don't want to intrude," he said.

"In or out Wilson!" Greg called and the man flushed. He stepped in and Sarah moved the baby gate aside for him. Maggie ran at him, barking and wagging her tail and Sarah moved to scoop her up. Dr. Wilson looked around the living room, clearly nervous.

"I'm going to take Maggie out for a walk," Sarah announced.

"You don't have to leave," stammered Dr. Wilson.

"She needs the walk," Sarah replied. She got the harness and leash and pulled on her coat. "I won't be long."

* * *

House looked at Wilson. The oncologist stood half-way between the front door and the wing-back chair, looking around Sarah's living room. He'd been standing there since he'd come in. Sarah had left a few minutes earlier to take Maggie for a walk.

"What do you want, Wilson?" House asked.

"I… wanted to see if you needed anything." Wilson took a few hesitant steps toward the wing-back chair. "How are you feeling?"

"I hurt," House replied. "The ibuprofen makes it bearable, as long as I don't try to move around too much." Wilson nodded vigorously and perched on the edge of the chair.

"I'm sorry."

"It'll heal," House said.

"House, I am sorry," Wilson said, looking over at him.

"It'll heal," House repeated with a faint smile. Wilson nodded.

"Ok." They sat in silence for a moment. "She seems nice." Wilson gestured toward the front door.

"She is," House replied.

"Are you two…"

"She's a good neighbor," House said. Whatever Wilson was going to say died on his lips as the door opened and Sarah came in. As soon as she took the harness off of Maggie, the dog raced over to leap into Wilson's lap. House laughed as the younger man leaned back, trying to avoid getting licked in the face. Sarah came to sit beside him, laughing at Maggie and Wilson. Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her eyes were sparkling. House suddenly wished that Wilson would get lost. He wanted very much to kiss her again.

Maggie finally settled for sitting on Wilson's lap and House made introductions. Sarah and Wilson made polite small talk for several minutes before Wilson got to his feet.

"I should be getting home," he said. "It was really nice meeting you, Sarah."

"It was nice to meet you, too, James," Sarah replied, getting up to walk him to the door. She returned to the couch, a small frown on her face.

"What is it?" House asked. She shook her head.

"It's nothing," she said, moving closer to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Testing an old adage," she replied, reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. He smiled, slipping his arm around her and leaning forward to meet her. This time Maggie kept quiet.


End file.
